THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES: SEED CORN GRANTS
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to UK organisations to support early-stage, exploratory projects that spark new ideas and innovative approaches to community engagement with heritage.
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o Application deadline: FRIDAY 28th NOVEMBER 2025. The fund opened to applications on Monday 15th September 2025. A free webinar has been scheduled for 2pm to 3:30pm today for those who would like to learn more about this new fund. A link to Eventbrite is included towards the end of the main text below.
o Funder: The National Archives (the National Archives are a non-ministerial department, and the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. It fulfils a leadership role for the archive sector, works to secure the future of physical and digital records and is the guardian of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents).
o Who can apply: UK Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums (sometimes collectively referred to as GLAM), community groups and other heritage organisations.
o Key words: Heritage, Community Engagement, Encouraging Access and Inclusivity, Innovation, United Kingdom.
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The National Archives’ Seed Corn Grant programme offers small grants to support early-stage, exploratory projects that spark new ideas and approaches to community engagement with heritage.
Grants are designed for:
o Community groups.
o Galleries.
o Libraries.
o Archives.
o Museums, and
o Other heritage organisations.
Applicants should be looking to test concepts, build partnerships, or pilot activities. Seed Corn Grants are designed to be flexible and easy to access, making it simple for anyone to join the National Archives’ Community Hub programme. The scheme is designed to encourage new ideas and inclusivity.
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 can be applied for. Smaller grassroots community groups operating at a local level are likely to be prioritised for grant support.
Eligible costs could include (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
o Community consultation or co-design activities.
o Digital tools or platforms to support engagement.
o Evaluation and documentation of pilot activities.
o General organisational overheads or core running costs.
o Materials and supplies for workshops, exhibitions, or events.
o Staff time or freelance fees for project delivery.
o Travel and subsistence for project participants, and/or
o Venue hires or equipment rental.
Two application rounds are scheduled for the fund, namely:
o Round 1 opened on Monday 15th September with a deadline of Friday 28th November 2025. Successful applicants are expected to be notified by the end of February 2026.
o Round 2 will open on Monday 2nd February 2026 with a deadline of Friday 17th April 2026. Successful applicants are expected to be notified by the end of July 2026.
A free-to-attend webinar has been arranged for Wednesday 17th September between 2pm and 3:30pm for those who would like to find out more about the programme. To book, please follow this LINK to Eventbrite. The event is titles ‘Community Hub Launch Weminar’.
Further information, guidance and details on how to apply is available on the National Archives website.
Contact details for the Seed Corn Grants programme are:
Sophie Anstee de Mas
Community Hub Manager
National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
Tel: 020 8876 3444
Email: sophie.ansteedemas@