- Summary
In 2026, the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The AHF is seeking to commission a consultant, or consultancy, to work with us over 16 months commencing August 2025 to develop a communications/media support programme to coincide with our planned Anniversary activities. The aim of this work is to maximise opportunities to increase awareness of the AHF among three constituent audiences: the general public, media, and potential future major donors (high-net-worth individuals with interests in heritage, property, or community empowerment). This work should complement our existing in-house delivery of social media, newsletters, and web stories/blogs.
We hope through this activity to raise the profile of the AHF to potential future funders, journalists and other media who can help us spread awareness in the longer term, and the wider public.
The budget is approximately £50,000 to include VAT and expenses, from August 2025-December 2026. It is expected you will provide your own equipment.
- About the AHF
The AHF is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK. We do this by providing advice, information and financial assistance in the form of grants and loans for projects undertaken by charities and not-for-private-profit organisations.
Today, we work at the intersection between the heritage and social impact sectors, with a diverse range of funders, partners and stakeholders, including the UK Government (Department of Culture, Media & Sport; the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities), the devolved heritage bodies (Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Department for Communities in NI), Locality (with which we partner as a member of the Community Ownership Fund Delivery Partner consortium), Social Investment Business (with which we partner on the Thrive Together Fund), and others across the heritage and social impact sectors. Our work therefore touches on themes of community ownership, retrofit, and place-making, in addition to more traditional themes associated with historic buildings, such as conservation.
- Anniversary activities
Between January-December 2026, the AHF is planning the following activities to support its 50th Anniversary:
- 50 Years of Transforming Heritage travelling exhibition telling the story of AHF projects within the themes of People, Place and Heritage through photography, personal stories and other media. The exhibition will appear in Belfast (February), Glasgow (May), Cardiff (July), and London (October) for two-three weeks each. A catalogue with essays will accompany the exhibition, and interpretation materials aimed at children (at primary and secondary levels) will be developed and made available to local school groups visiting. A digital exhibition will open in November and remain on our website for five years, maximising accessibility and providing a legacy. This will also include interpretive materials for children, so it can be used by teachers across the country in linking heritage to national curriculum teaching around local history.
- 50 Projects Feature – one each week until the end of December – on a new page on our website with new case studies detailing the community-led journeys of projects and incorporating feedback from locals today about what this heritage means to them. Ten projects will also participate in new interviews – available to listen to via a podcast series – and be part of a public vote promoted on social media on the ‘Best AHF Project’; a small prize will be awarded to the winner of the public competition.
- Pavilion – Working with our partner (AHF project) Grizedale Arts, we will sponsor the design of a commissioned ‘pavilion’ that celebrates British traditional architecture and heritage building skills, and the relationship between built and natural heritage. The commission will encourage young designers and architects to engage with historic building typologies, helping to promote conservation approaches among a new generation of architecture professionals. We hope to achieve wide public engagement in this ‘legacy attraction’ designed to stand for 5-10 years after our anniversary, inspiring younger social media users (through, e.g. Instagram) to become interested in built heritage, traditional skills, and the relationship between built and natural heritage.
- ‘Heritage in the Cities and Towns of Tomorrow’ conference – We will develop a one-day London-based conference aimed at a real estate investment/developer audience, with an aim to promote the value of working with heritage to private investors and introducing our organisation to potential future philanthropic supporters.
- Campaign launch and closure events – We will hold a campaign launch event in January 2026 to announce our programme of activities and initiate donation conversations with supporters and hold a separate event at the closure of the year, celebrating what we have achieved, with the potential to create and show a short film celebrating the year of activities.
- The brief
To support the AHF in promoting its 50th Anniversary programme of activities via national / regional and specialist media. Specifically, we are seeking:
- A regular pattern of days of support for promoting agreed topical content to your media contacts sourced by you within print journalism, television, radio, and other specialist media, with enough flexibility to enable ‘peak periods of activity’ as needed (e.g. timed to coincide with events or exhibition launches);
- Support in creating – with feedback and support from AHF staff – both print and digital content (e.g. phone-based social media films) to be used for promotion.
Intended outcomes:
- Broaden awareness of the AHF, its work and strategy, to existing and potential future funders and the wider public; and
- Further the AHF’s role and influence in shaping and informing national heritage, regeneration and social enterprise policy.
What we are looking for in your tender:
- Track record of supporting charities and social impact organisations with engaging national and regional media, including placement of news stories, op-eds, and television/radio pieces;
- Examples of campaigns led, or similar promotion of charities across a defined period or in celebration of an anniversary; our funding agreements outline an expectation from our funders (Cadw and The National Lottery Heritage Fund) that communication activities in Wales will be delivered in Welsh and English. While you may not have delivered support in Welsh before, we would ask you to outline how you would go about doing so; and
- Clear understanding that the AHF communications resource is highly limited (with one Anniversary lead and one dedicated Comms staff member).
- Tendering process
Tender proposals (no more than 10 sides of A4) should include:
- Your understanding of the brief and initial ideas for key themes to promote that respond to the AHF’s Strategy and activities as outlined above;
- Details of how you will work with AHF to plan and deliver the support, including a proposed initial schedule as well as indication of potential for ‘peak period’ flexibility;
- Your previous experience of delivering similar support in a relevant field, accompanied by up to three samples of content you have created (please provide hyperlinks to work where possible); and
- A project plan and cost proposal, including the potential budget/time implications.
- Timetable
The timetable will be:
- Brief for services issued 14 July 2025;
- Completed tenders to be returned to the AHF by 5pm on 8 August 2025;
- Interviews (by Zoom) week commencing 11 August 2025;
- Confirmation of award of contract by 15 August 2025;
- Commencement of contract by 25 August 2025; and
- Completion of contract on 31 December 2026.
- Contact details
Kelcey Wilson-Lee
Director of Programmes & Deputy CEO
Kelcey.wilson-lee@ahfund.org.uk
07307 605973
