Grants available from Dundee Historic Environment Trust

Historic Building Repair Grants

To be eligible for a historic building repair grant, buildings should be of traditional construction (usually, but not always, built pre-1919). We prioritise listed buildings and applications with a focus on regeneration or commercial activities. Projects which contribute towards improving energy efficiency and adapting to climate change are particularly welcome, even if those works themselves are not grant eligible.

We can also award funding towards public realm projects. These are usually repairs to streetscape features such as old paving, where there is community value.

To check if your building is a listed building and if it is in a conservation area, click here:

Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas

• Essential structural repairs
• Comprehensive roof repairs
• Repair of chimneys
• Repair or replacement of rainwater gutters
• Repair of stonework
• Repair of historic boundary walls or garden structures
• Repair of external joinery
• Repair of historic external metalwork
• Public realm repairs
• Agreed project-related skills training initiatives
• Agreed professional fees
• Project development costs for major regeneration schemes

• Alterations and additions
• Projects that have already started
• Use of modern materials such as GRP or cement mortars
• Artificial and substitute materials or techniques
• Chemical treatments
• Stone cleaning
• Interior repairs
• Routine maintenance such as gutter cleaning, fixing slipped slates or localised repointing (please refer to link maintenance under technical advice section)

Community Heritage Grants

The Community Heritage Grants Scheme helps local groups and organisations bring Dundee’s history to life. Grants support projects that encourage people to learn about, enjoy, and care for the city’s historic environment. If you would like an informal chat before making your application please contact our Community Engagement Advisor, Mylene Herd, at mylene@dhet.org.

What sort of projects can we fund?

We will prioritise projects that:

• Improve public access to and participation in Dundee’s heritage
• Support education, skills, and lifelong learning
• Celebrate diverse histories and communities
• Demonstrate clear community benefit and inclusivity

Projects should meet at least one of the six Historic Environment Scotland grants priorities

Who can apply?

• Community groups, voluntary organisations and charities
• Not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises
• Schools, colleges and education providers
• Heritage organisations based in Dundee

Applicants must be formally constituted and have a bank account in the organisation’s name

If your project is eligible you may be able to receive grant funding towards:

• Events and engagement
• Formal learning
• Informal learning
• Consultant or professional fees
• Materials and equipment
• Staffing
• Overheads

• Acquisitions
• Work resulting from an event that should be insurable.
• Recoverable VAT or VAT grant-aided by other funders
• Projects without public benefit
• Any work that has already started before you apply for the grant
• General operational/core running costs
• Organisations who are insolvent or in financial difficulty
• Projects where funding has been awarded by HES directly, or indirectly through one of its grant funding partners, such as the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF)

Other Sources of Funding

Applicants may also wish to investigate other sources of potential funding both locally and nationally. There are a small number of funders who specialise in heritage projects, in addition to trusts which have an interest in the conservation of the built heritage.

Dundee City Council  External Funding:

Contact diane.milne@dundeecity.gov.uk 01382 434653
Assistance to help Dundee groups and organisations access external funding:
DCC External Funding

Dundee City Council also offers discretionary grants and loans to private householders and landlords under the Scheme of Assistance:
Improvement and repair scheme private households

SCARF is a social enterprise company and delivers energy efficiency advice and services, on behalf of Home Energy Scotland, to local authority areas in north east Scotland, including that served by Dundee City Council. Home Energy Scotland grants assist a variety of energy saving measures addressing fuel poverty:
SCARF grants and funding

Historic Environment Scotland runs a range of grant programmes including an historic environment repair grant scheme to promote and protect the historic environment. Funding cannot be awarded by DHET where HES funding has been awarded (and vice versa):
Historic Environment Scotland

National Lottery Heritage Fund: Heritage Fund Scotland operates a number of grants schemes supporting people and communities to explore, conserve and celebrate heritage.

Architectural Heritage Fund – Scotland: The Architectural Heritage Fund Scotland offers various grant programmes which includes project viability grants, project development grants and a tailored support fund.

Alternative sources of funding may also be found on the Heritage Funding Directory, a free online guide  managed by the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Heritage Alliance and on the online grant funding directory complied by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Funding Scotland

Churches are now eligible to apply for funding from DHET. They can alternatively seek funding directly from Historic Environment Scotland and from schemes such as the National Churches Trust and the The Benefact Trust. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme can provide funding which covers the VAT incurred when making repairs to listed buildings that are in use as places of worship.