Introduction

The AHF is the UK’s only specialist lender for charities and social enterprises working on or operating from historic buildings. We lend funds across the UK to organisations looking to give buildings of historic or architectural importance a sustainable future.

Loans can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

Towards the cost of a capital project.
To bridge funding gaps until further funding becomes available.
To help manage cashflow needs.
To support the development of new activities or a new service.
Buying a building (freehold or leasehold).

The buildings we invest in are either listed, in a conservation area, or may be of special significance to the community. The organisations that we support all want to create sustainable new uses of historic buildings for the benefit of local communities.

Our loans are a form of social investment; repayable finance aimed at not-for-profit organisations driven by a social purpose. If you want to find out more about social investment, Good Finance is a collaborative project aimed at helping improve access to information on social investment for charities and social enterprises.

As a specialist lender for organisations working on or based in historic buildings, we understand each project is unique. Therefore we consider each application individually on its merits, with full assistance given throughout the application process and beyond.

If you would like to talk to us about how a loan from the AHF could support your project, please email Andrew, Investment Manager, at andrew.hitches-davies@ahfund.org.uk.

You may also complete an online enquiry and begin an application to one of the funds listed below.

Heritage Impact Fund

The Heritage Impact Fund offers tailored finance for charities, social enterprises and community businesses across the UK seeking to acquire, reuse or redevelop buildings which are of historic or architectural importance. As well as delivering impact that supports the sustainability of historic buildings, the Heritage Impact Fund supports projects that are seeking to deliver demonstrable local economic and community impact.

Loan size: £25,000 to £500,000

Repayment term: Up to maximum five years

Organisation type: Incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations

Geography: UK-wide

Headline interest rate: Typically 8% fixed for a secured loan

Fees: Arrangement fee of 1-2%, and any AHF legal fees

Security: Secured and unsecured loans are available

Where it is needed, we may be able to offer additional expert support, advice and mentoring to Heritage Impact Fund clients, to support sustainable business change and to help drive their long-term social and economic impact through our RePlan capacity building service.

The HIF is a joint initiative with contributions from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Cadw, Department for Communities Northern Ireland and the Architectural Heritage Fund itself. Additionally, Rathbone Greenbank Investments is pleased to provide investment management and loan facilities to the AHF.

Please read our programme guidance for further information.

Enquire and Apply

Please complete our short online Expression of Interest form.

One of our team will then contact you to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you may have. We will ask you questions about your project to determine your eligibility for our funds and if repayable finance is right for you.

If your organisation and project are eligible and your plans sufficiently developed, we will then invite you to submit a full application.

There are no deadlines for applying. We strongly encourage applicants to submit an Expression of Interest as early as possible.

General Funds

Our General Funds are available to invest in more traditional heritage projects. These include projects which may require longer-term finance or demonstrate less community benefit than is required to access our other loan funds.

Loan size: £25,000 to £500,000. In exceptional circumstances we may be able to consider larger sums.

Repayment term: Usually up to five years. We may be able to offer a longer term.

Organisation type: Incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations

Geography: UK-wide

Headline interest rate: Typically 8% fixed for a secured facility

Fees: Arrangement fee of 1-2%, and any AHF legal fees

Security: Secured and unsecured loans are available

Please read our programme guidance for further information.

Enquire and Apply

Please complete our short online Expression of Interest form.

If your organisation and project are eligible and your plans sufficiently developed, we will then invite you to submit a full application.

There are no deadlines for applying. We strongly encourage applicants to submit an Expression of Interest as early as possible.

Thrive Together Fund

The Thrive Together Fund is aimed at small and medium sized charities and social enterprises based in and delivering impact in England, who are trading and looking to grow or diversify their business models. Funding is a blend of loan (75%) and grant (25%).

The Thrive Together Fund is delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund and others in a partnership led by Social Investment Business.

Visit the Fund web pages to find out more about the Fund, including how to apply.

Funding amount: £25,000 to £150,000 (75% as loan, 25% as grant).

Repayment term: One to six years

Organisation type: Incorporated voluntary, community, or social enterprise organisations with a minimum of two years’ operating activity and a minimum turnover of £100,000 in the last financial year.

Geography: England-only

Headline interest rate: 7.5% fixed

Fees: Arrangement fee of 2%

Security: Loans are typically unsecured

Apply to the Thrive Together Fund: Thrive Together Fund | Funding | Social Investment Business (sibgroup.org.uk)

Energy Resilience Fund

The Energy Resilience Fund is a pilot blended finance programme delivered through a partnership with Key Fund to support community organisations and social enterprises in England to undertake retrofitting energy generating and saving technology and building adaptations, including to historic buildings, which will support cost saving and energy resilience.

The AHF are working in partnership with the programme lead, Key Fund, to support applications for first stage energy audit grants and second stage blended loan and grant finance for energy resilience projects within buildings of historic or architectural importance. Funding applications will need to demonstrate that any proposals will provide an energy-cost saving to your organisation.

Visit the Key Fund website to find out more about the programme, or email Emily, our Investment Officer, for more information on applying for funding at emily.greenaway@ahfund.org.uk.

First stage applications: Energy Audit Grants up to £2,500.

Second stage applications: Blended funding of up to 40% grant and 60% loan finance for retrofitting energy saving and generating adaptations. Funding available from £10,000 to £150,000.

Availability: England-only.

Organisation type: Applicants must be an incorporated entity, and not-for-profit, with clear social aims and objectives. Small to medium sized organisations who are locally controlled and focused.

Ownership requirements: Applicants must own the building or have a lease of 12 years or more.

Repayment term: 12 months to 7 years

Fees: 1% arrangement fee

Headline interest rate: 6.5% flat interest rate

Security: Most cases unsecured but agreed on a case-by-case basis

Reach Fund

The Reach Fund provides grants of up to £15,000 to organisations in England only for extra help with governance, business planning or financial management before taking on repayable finance.

About the Reach Fund: Reach Fund | Funding | Social Investment Business (sibgroup.org.uk)

The AHF is an Access Point for the Reach Fund. The Reach Fund is administered by Social Investment Business.