Introduction

The AHF is the UK's only specialist lender for charities and social enterprises working on or operating from historic buildings. We provide tailored investment to organisations working to secure a sustainable future for historic buildings across the UK.

You can use our loans for various purposes, including:

Redeveloping a building
Buying a building (freehold or leasehold)
Bridging finance
Smaller scale improvements to your building
Supporting the development of new activities or services

We typically support buildings that are listed or in a conservation area. However, we will consider unlisted buildings that are not in a conservation area if the applicant can demonstrate special significance to the community.

We understand that working with historic buildings can be complicated. Our Investment Team will provide full support throughout the application process and beyond.

If you'd like to speak to us about a loan for your project, please email us at invteam@ahfund.org.uk and someone from our Investment Team will contact you.

If your organisation is based in England, you may be eligible for up to £15,000 in grant funding from the Reach Fund. This funding is designed to improve investment-readiness. Our team will support you to apply to the Reach Fund.

Our funds

Heritage Impact Fund

The Heritage Impact Fund is designed for charities and social enterprises that are looking to make a positive social impact by acquiring, reusing, or redeveloping buildings of historic or architectural importance.

Loan Amount: £25,000 to £500,000
Interest Rate: Typically 6-8% fixed rate
Repayment Term: Up to 5 years, with potential for capital and interest repayment holidays
Security: Secured and unsecured
Availability: UK-wide

We tailor our loan terms to fit each project’s unique needs. We offer full capital and interest repayment holidays, where required, and loans may be drawn in stages. We do not charge interest on any portion of your loan that has not been drawn.

In addition, we can offer additional free expert support, advice and mentoring to clients through our RePlan capacity building service. This service can support sustainable business change and to help drive long-term social and economic impact.

The Heritage Impact Fund 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.

Apply

To get started, please fill out our short online Expression of Interest form. Please note: we will be making updates to our website on Monday 14th April from 2 - 5pm. During this time our Expression of Interest and Applications forms will be offline.

Our Investment Team will contact you to discuss your needs and answer any questions you might have. We’ll ask about your project to see if you’re eligible for our funds and if repayable finance is a good fit for you. If we feel you meet our funding criteria, we’ll 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.

Full support will be provided by our Investment Team throughout the application process.

General Funds

Our General Funds are available to invest in heritage-led projects. For example, loans can be used for building preservation projects, including where the intention is to sell the restored building after completion.

We may be able to offer longer term loans through our General Funds.

Loan Amount: Usually up to £500,000, with flexibility to lend more in exceptional cases
Interest Rate: Typically 6-8% fixed rate
Repayment Term: Longer terms, dependent on available funds
Security: Secured and unsecured
Availability: UK-wide

Apply

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

Full support will be provided by our Investment Team throughout the application process.

Energy Resilience Fund

The Energy Resilience Fund is a programme providing a blended finance funding package to support charities and social enterprises in England that are looking to improve their energy resilience through the installation of energy-generating and energy-saving technology and building adaptations. The AHF is a partner in this fund and can support charities and social enterprises based in historic buildings to apply.

Blended finance of up to 40% grant and 60%+ loan investment between £25,000 and £250,000
Support to produce Energy Audits
Interest Rate: 8.5% fixed per annum on loan balance
Repayment Term: 2 years to 10 years
Security: Most cases unsecured unless exceptional circumstances
Arrangement fee: 2.5% on loan value
Availability: England

This fund is delivered with Social Investment Business and in partnership with the Architectural Heritage Fund, Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Co-operative and Community Finance, GMCVO , Groundwork UK, Key Fund, Resonance Ltd and The Ubele Initiative. This is a successor fund to the pilot Energy Resilience Fund managed by Key Fund.

Visit the Social Investment Business website to find out more about the programme. Alternatively, for more information, please email our Investment Officer, Emily Greenaway, at emily.greenaway@ahfund.org.uk.

Community Builders Fund

The Community Builders Fund is for charities and social enterprises based in England, Wales and Scotland who are improving people’s lives, or the environment they live in.

Applicants must be incorporated voluntary, community, or social enterprise organisations with a minimum of two years’ operating activity and a minimum turnover of £400,000 in the last financial year (or £200,000 if the organisation is based in Scotland or Wales).

Funding: £100,000 to £1,500,000
Interest Rate: 7.9% fixed per annum
Repayment Term: 1 to 6 years
Fees: 2.5% on loans of £500k or greater, 3% on loans less than £500k
Security: Secured and unsecured, dependent on value
Availability: England, Scotland, and Wales

This fund is delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund and others in a partnership led by Social Investment Business.

Find out more and apply at the Community Builders Fund website: https://www.sibgroup.org.uk/funds/community-builders-fund/

Reach Fund

The AHF is an Access Point for the Reach Fund. The Reach Fund provides grants of up to £15,000 to organisations in England for extra help with governance, business planning or preparing financial information before taking on repayable finance.

If you'd like to apply to the Reach Fund, please speak to us first. Email us at invteam@ahfund.org.uk, and one of our team will get back to you.

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.

Thrive Together Fund

The Thrive Together Fund is currently closed to new applications.

The Thrive Together Fund supports small and medium-sized charities and social enterprises in England that are looking to grow or diversify their business models. Funds can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including refinancing existing debt.

Applicants must be incorporated voluntary, community, or social enterprise organisations with a minimum of two years’ operating activity and a minimum income of £100,000 in the last financial year.

Funding: £25,000 to £150,000 (75% loan, 25% grant)
Interest Rate: 7.5% fixed
Repayment Term: 1 to 6 years
Fees: 2% arrangement fee
Security: Typically unsecured
Availability: England