The National Archives: Community Hub Grants

Overview

The ‘Spaces, Places and Belonging’ Community Hub is a new national programme led by The National Archives in partnership with Leeds Museums & Galleries, the National Library of Wales, and the Community Archives & Heritage Group. Funded by the AHRC (UKRI), the Hub will support inclusive, community-led research across the UK’s galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) and heritage sectors.

The programme will offer three schemes.

• Seed Corn Grants range from £500 to £5,000 for early-stage pilot projects.
• Skills Bursaries award up to £1,000 to individuals for training in community heritage practice.
• Project Grants provide up to £30,000 for substantial, collaborative projects between at least one gallery, library, archive or museum and a community group.

In total, £550,000 will be available across the three schemes, alongside a programme of training, digital skills development, and network-building. 

The Hub's Purpose

The Hub will also create a permanent digital platform to share resources, learning, and best practice, ensuring that community engagement becomes a lasting part of the national collection. Designed to empower underrepresented communities and build confidence across the sector, the Hub will be a collaborative, flexible, and sustainable space for innovation and inclusion.

The grants aim to spark new ideas, build skills and fund lasting resources that reflect diverse voices. They can support research, community workshops, digitisation, exhibitions and digital storytelling. The funding addresses a shortage of grassroots heritage initiatives by enabling local organisations to engage audiences with archives.

Seed Corn Grants

Seed Corn Grants offer between £500 and £5,000 to support early-stage, exploratory projects that spark new ideas and approaches to community engagement with heritage. These grants are designed for organisations looking to test concepts, build partnerships, or pilot activities. With a high tolerance for experimentation and learning, Seed Corn Grants provide a flexible and low-barrier entry point into the Community Hub programme, encouraging innovation and inclusion from the ground up.

Eligible applicants include community groups and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) organisations across the UK, specifically those that are not Independent Research Organisations (non-IROs).

Eligible costs could include:

• Staff time or freelance fees for project delivery
• Materials and supplies for workshops, exhibitions, or events
• Venue hires or equipment rental
• General organisational overheads or core running costs
• Travel and subsistence for project participants
• Community consultation or co-design activities
• Digital tools or platforms to support engagement
• Evaluation and documentation of pilot activities

Bursaries

The Bursaries scheme will offer grants of up to £1000 for individuals seeking to grow their expertise in community heritage work. It is open to practitioners at any stage of their journey and is designed to support a wide range of professional development activities. Bursaries are designed to be accessible and responsive, helping to build confidence and capability across the sector—particularly among those who may not have had access to such opportunities before.

Eligible costs could include:

• Course or workshop fees (in-person or online)
• Travel and accommodation costs related to training
• Mentoring or coaching sessions
• Attendance at conferences or sector events
• Materials or resources needed for learning (e.g. books, toolkits)
• Costs associated with shadowing/placements in GLAM orgs.

The emphasis is on supporting practical, meaningful development opportunities that build confidence and capability in community heritage work.

Offered on a rolling basis, the bursaries are designed to be accessible and responsive, helping to build confidence and capability across the sector—particularly among those who may not have had access to such opportunities before.

Project Grants

Project Grants of up to £30,000 are available to support substantial, collaborative initiatives between at least one GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) or heritage organisation and one community group. These grants are designed to fund in-depth research, skills development, and the creation of lasting resources that reflect diverse voices and experiences. Whether building on a previous Seed Corn project or starting something entirely new, Project Grants aim to foster meaningful change and long-term value for both communities and institutions.

At the heart of these grants is a commitment to co-design and community leadership. Projects should be inclusive, sustainable, and impactful, with a strong emphasis on shared ownership and mutual benefit. The funding is intended to support practical, creative, and developmental work that strengthens relationships between GLAM organisations and the communities they serve.

Eligible costs could include:

• Staff time or freelance fees for project delivery
• Community engagement and co-design activities
• Training and skills development for participants
• Travel and subsistence for project participants
• Materials, equipment, or venue hire
• Digital tools, platforms, or content creation
• Evaluation and dissemination of project outcomes
• Translation or accessibility services
• General organisational overheads or core running costs