New fund targets innovation in heritage sector

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) is launching a new funding initiative designed to bring innovative solutions to workforce issues in the heritage sector.

The Heritage Innovation Fund will offer a combination of financial support alongside expert advice and collaboration. NLHF says it is open to “experimenters, collaborators and learners from across all parts of heritage”, as it aims to give groups the “power to be more experimental, creative, and try new ways of working to meet the future demands and ambitions for the UK’s diverse heritage”.

It has been developed to target issues relating to the heritage sector's future workforce, including diversifying the workforce, developing volunteering opportunities and making the most of technological advancements.

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NLHF Head of Innovation & New Business Alexandra Roberts says the establishment of the fund follows a recent UK Heritage Pulse survey which identified sector support for innovation as one of four main priorities for action.

In the survey, 54% of respondents asked for greater support to test new approaches. Many heritage organisations added that workforce challenges, including retention rates, had been exacerbated by the pandemic and said time, space and resources were needed to tackle such issues.

“It is an important part of our wider commitment to working alongside practitioners from across the UK and all parts of heritage to explore the ideas, solutions and technologies that could effectively support heritage in the future,” Roberts said.

"This is a timely moment to be launching the Heritage Innovation Fund. The act of looking forward is a powerful one, particularly when we have been through such turbulent times.”

NLHF says the fund will consist of three phrases. It is currently accepting applications to the first, called "explore", where organisations will define the problem and develop potential solutions. Up to £25,000 is available to cover organisations’ time and exploration activities, including staff costs, for up to six months in this stage.

It will be followed by the "test" phase, where organisations will put prototypes into practice and gather evidence of what works. The final phase, known as "growth", will see applicants implement their findings more widely, both within organisations and across the sector.

Coaching and support

Social innovation think tank The Young Foundation will provide advice to the fund’s grantees, helping to develop participants’ innovation skills through a series of group and one-to-one sessions.

Chief Executive Helen Goulden said the foundation is looking forward to working with heritage organisations who “want to experiment and learn to build new ways of working in a changed and changing world”.

“The time is ripe to make progress on some of the stubborn and persistent workforce challenges, to ensure the heritage workforce is fully fit for the future,” she added.

“We know that the heritage sector can innovate, and the pandemic has shown us just how swiftly radical change can happen.”

Coaching and innovation support will begin in the fund’s test phase, with The Young Foundation offering six online sessions with all programme participants, and individual or team coaching support over the six months.

The fund's pilot is open to not-for-profit and public sector organisations, local authorities and “private owners of heritage”. NLHF says applications will be assessed against three criteria: the inclusion of a challenge connected to the heritage workforce, a commitment to innovation and the engagement of the named leader(s) of the project.

Prospective applicants are invited to attend a webinar introducing the fund on 21 July, with workshops to hone ideas scheduled for 4 August, 24 August and 13 September.

Organisations have until 27 September to apply, with decisions expected in December.