In February 2025, The UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) launched the ‘Local to Global UNESCO Network Community Grants’ open call for UNESCO Sites in the UK.
The grant scheme will offer flexible funding to deepen and formalise network collaborations. It will encourage Sites to achieve external partnership funding to support innovative and collaborative approaches to protecting and promoting heritage. UKNC are seeking applications from UNESCO Sites that outline how they intend to use this financial support to test regional and national collaborations with their fellow UNESCO Sites.
UKNC will be awarding a total of six £10,000 grants across the six regions of the UK (Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the SW, the SE/London, and the North/Midlands) to projects that bring a group of UNESCO Sites (eg World Heritage Sites, Geoparks, Biospheres etc) together to realise a collaborative solution to a shared problem. This could be a new piece of research, event or stakeholder engagement activity. To make the grant stretch as far as possible, each application will need to achieve a minimum £-for-£ match-funding. This could be through in-kind or cash support or a combination of the two. Example uses of this grant could include:
1. Use the grant as match-funding for a bigger application of support. For instance, a £50k application to a cultural funder to support a new touring work across multiple UNESCO Sites in geographic proximity
2. Commission a new audience development plan or fundraising feasibility study that sets the stage for future collaborations between multiple UNESCO Sites. Each site commits to a certain number of hours, free room hire and £250 cash support to reach the match funding requirements
3. Extend an existing project or programme so that it can be inclusive of other UNESCO Sites in a region/nation – the pre-existing project funding can then be used as match-funding for the community grant
Click here for full details and the application form.
Application deadline is Friday 27th June 2025.