Funding to support the protection of cultural heritage under threat in one or more of the Fund’s target countries.
Administered by the British Council on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Fund will support efforts to keep cultural heritage and objects safe as well as providing opportunities for local communities to value, care for and benefit from their cultural heritage.
Small grants of up to £100,000 are currently available to non-governmental organisations (NGO), charity or voluntary organisations, public sector organisations, and academic institutions based anywhere in the world, as long as they are working in one of the following countries or states:
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA) - Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
- East Africa - Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
- South Asia - Afghanistan.
Groups should be working with a local partner organisation which could include an academic institution, public sector organisation, charity or voluntary organisation or a company.
The Fund has the following outcomes:
Heritage
1. Cultural heritage at risk is safeguarded for future generations.
2. Cultural heritage at risk is better managed and prepared for potential threats.
3. Local organisations and communities have increased capacity and resilience to care for cultural heritage.
Society
4. Local people have developed skills, potentially leading to increased professional or other opportunities.
5. The profile of people engaging with cultural heritage is more diverse.
6. Local communities have a better understanding of their cultural heritage and value it more.
7. Local communities have played a more active role in protecting their cultural heritage or sharing it with others.
8. The local area is enhanced for the benefit of communities and visitors.
Economy
9. The local economy has been diversified.
Projects do not have to address each outcome, but all projects must include outcome 1 (cultural heritage safeguarding) and at least one society outcome.
Expressions of Interest are accepted on a rolling basis, before the application deadline of 31 October 2022.
How To Apply
The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest for Large Grants has now closed.
Small Grants applications are open from 1 August 2022. There is no deadline for Expressions of Interest, as they will be assessed on a rolling basis. However, the first deadline for full applications is 31 October 2022, so the sooner an Expression of Interest is submitted, the more time to complete a full application.
The criteria, online Expression of Interest, and other documents are available on the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund webpage and should be read before starting the online application process.