Who is eligible for Scotland's Places of Worship Fund?

Available in: Scotland. Most relevant to: Charity & Nonprofit.

Scotland's Places of Worship Fund

Historic Environment Scotland (HES)

Details being confirmed

Some figures on this page (such as the amount, deadline, or rate) are provisional and due a fresh verification pass against the official source. Please confirm the current details using the official link below before relying on this information.

Description

Confirmed via an October 2026 research pass: a one-year pilot launched by Historic Environment Scotland on 1 October 2026 to help listed places of worship in Scotland recover VAT costs on repair and conservation work, filling part of the gap left when the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme closed on 31 March 2026. Up to £1 million is available for the 2026/27 financial year only, drawn from HES's existing grants budget — a fraction of what Scotland received under the old UK-wide scheme, and far smaller (pro rata) than England's new £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund. HES has said it will review the pilot's outcomes before deciding on any future funding, so continuation beyond March 2027 is not guaranteed. Wales and Northern Ireland have launched no equivalent fund.

Amount

Up to £1 million in total for the 2026/27 pilot year; individual grant amounts not yet confirmed

Deadline

31 March 2027

Eligibility summary

Available in: Scotland.
Most relevant to: Charity & Nonprofit.

Notes: Pilot scheme for the 2026/27 financial year only, awarded on a first-come, first-served basis rather than competitively — funding closes early if the £1 million budget is exhausted before 31 March 2027. Whether it continues beyond this pilot year has not been decided; full guidance was still being finalised with faith groups at launch.
Requirement: Listed place of worship in Scotland, of any faith or denomination.

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How to apply

Apply via Historic Environment Scotland on a first-come, first-served basis — guidance and the application form are published on the HES website. Information is also available in Arabic, Gaelic, Polish, Hindi, Urdu, and Hebrew.

View official source

Last verified: 3 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.