Established in 2016, the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is led by the British Council in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
CPF’s role is to safeguard cultural heritage at risk primarily due to conflict and/or climate change and to contribute to sustainable social stability and economic prosperity.
To date, the Cultural Protection Fund has given grants of over £57m to 178 projects in 20 countries.
Expressions of Interest are now open for multi-year funding. Apply by 20 July.
We are now accepting Expressions of Interest from organisations for grants of up to £500,000. Only selected applicants will be permitted to submit a full application.
On this page you will find full details on how to apply, including information on participating countries, grant amounts, eligibility and application guidance to support you in your application.
Key dates
- Applications open: Tuesday 23 June 2026
- Expressions of interest deadline: Monday 20 July 2026, 23:59 BST.
- Online information session: Monday 1 July, 10am – 11am BST.
- Full application deadline: Friday 28 August 2026, 23:59 BST.
- Projects start: December 2026.
- Projects end by: 31 January 2029.
About the grants and how to apply
| Participating countries | We’re looking for projects protecting cultural heritage at risk in: Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen. |
| Grant allocations and eligibility | Projects must be submitted by one lead organisation. While organisations can be registered anywhere in the world, your project must include partners registered in CPF’s target countries. All projects must demonstrate evidence of local demand and support for proposed activities.
Organisations can apply for grants of up to £500,000. While each application will be assessed on its own merit, although we have limited funding available, we expect to make approximately:
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| Online information session | We are running one information session to support you with the application process and answer any questions.
Please register here for the one taking place on Monday 1 July, 10am – 11am BST. If you are unable to attend, we will be publishing the recording on our website afterwards. |
Before beginning your application
Please read our FAQs below and download and read our Application Guidance. Click to expand the sections below to read in-depth information.
Get in touch
If you have a specific question not covered in our FAQs, please contact us here.
Downloads
- CPF 2026 Application Guidance (Adobe PDF 275KB)
When you’re ready to apply, you can begin your application through Good Grants. Apply by Monday 20 July, 23:59 BST.
