Listed places of worship in England can now apply to the new £92m Places of Worship Renewal Fund. The fund offers capital grants for essential repairs and related works at listed places of worship, including churches, chapels, synagogues, temples and mosques. It replaces the former VAT reclaim scheme for Listed Places of Worship. The programme is being delivered by Historic England.
£23 million will be available each year for the next four years with three streams of funding:
- Small grants: £10,000 to £50,000
- Medium grants: £50,001 to £350,000
- Large grants: £350,001 to £1 million
The objectives of the fund are to:
- repair and safeguard historic places of worship in places most in need by undertaking the repairs that keep them in use
- help places of worship stay active as community spaces
- strengthen long-term resilience of the building and reduce future repair costs
- target support in the most deprived areas of England where need is highest
The funding can be used for:
- urgent fabric repairs (roofs, masonry, timber, drainage)
- essential improvements (electrical upgrades, heating, toilets, step‑free access)
- professional fees and surveys related to eligible capital works
- limited additional works that support future long-term sustainability (such as loft hatches, improved rainwater goods)
- proportionate interventions that support sustainable community use
Your project must involve a building listed at Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II, that is an active place of worship (used for worship a minimum of six times a year).
There will be two windows each year in which Expressions of Interest can be submitted.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
Capital grants to keep listed places of worship safe, open and in public use.
Application deadline:
The first deadline for EoIs is 14 June 2026. There will be a second round in September 2026.
Fund description:
https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/grants/what-we-fund/places-of-worship-renewal-fund/