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- Grant ceilings have been increased from €15,000 to €50,000
- Awards will be made three months earlier, allowing more time for works
- Minister Noonan welcomed the changes, which will benefit the conservation of our architectural heritage
Minister of State for Nature ,Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has today announced important changes to the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) to allow for additional time to complete works and higher maximum grants. The BHIS, which supports the owners of historic properties, has awarded €12m in funding to over 1,600projects nationwide over the past three years. Grants of up to €50,000 are now available to cover the cost of maintaining and conserving Ireland's architectural heritage. A significant increase on the previous maximum award of€15,000, the grants will provide a boost for owners seeking help to protect their building’s historic character. In addition, the timeframe of the scheme is changing with applications open from now until Friday 27 September. Successful projects will be announced in early January, giving owners and craftspeople additional time to schedule and complete their projects during2025. Previously, application opened in November with awards announced in March of the following year. Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, said: "These changes will make it easier for owners and custodians of historic buildings to access higher levels of support and get the work done within the required timeframe. It’s vital that we ensure our grant schemes are working for people, so that they in turn can ensure that the architectural heritage of these special buildings is protected into the future. Not only are they a record of our shared past, they are a much loved and irreplaceable feature of our built environment today, contributing hugely to the character of our streets and our sense of place. I strongly encourage anyone interested in availing of the grants to contact the Architectural Conservation Officer or Heritage Officer in their local authority as soon as possible.”
The BHIS is operated by local authorities with funding from the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The revised BHIS now includes elements of the Historic Structures Fund (HSF), a separate scheme focusing on grants of between €50,000 and€200,000 to assist larger-scale projects. Applications for the HSF will open towards the end of 2024.Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, said: "I am delighted with the enhancements to this year’s Built Heritage Investment Scheme. Well-judged re-use of our traditional building stock can help us meet housing needs, revitalise communities, and keep properties from falling into dereliction. I very much look forward to seeing the real impact this scheme will have in our cities, towns, villages, and countryside.”
Alan Dillon TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, said: "The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a great example of successful collaboration between central and local government. I would like to particularly commend the Architectural Conservation Officers, Heritage Officers, and other local authority staff whose hard work and expertise make this excellent scheme possible.”
Successful projects will be announced in January 2025, with a full list to be published on gov.ie. Further details about the scheme and its eligibility requirements may be found here: Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS)
Further information
Total funding available under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) will be confirmed in Budget 2025.(During 2024, €9 million was made available across the BHIS and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) schemes. Applicants may receive a maximum of€50,000 under the scheme, which must represent no more than 80% of the project's total cost. The limit for state funding under previous versions of the scheme was 50%.Since the applicant must therefore provide at least 20% of the project cost from non-state funding, an example applicant in receipt of the full €50,000 would need to provide a minimum€12,500 of their own funding. In practice, the level of award will be at the discretion of the local authority and most applicants may be approved for less than 80% of their project costs under the scheme .Buildings/structures eligible for funding under the scheme include:
- Protected structures (i.e. those on the local authority’s record of protected structures)
- Proposed protected structures (i.e. buildings the local authority has proposed to add to its list)
- Structures in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs are defined by the Local Authority)
- Vernacular buildings (max grant for these is €30,000)
Historic Shopfronts Questions about the eligibility of a particular building or shopfront should be directed to the Architectural Conservation Officer (ACO) or Heritage Officer of the local authority for the area in which the building is located. Questions about the technical details of the scheme may be directed to builtheritage@housing.gov.ie
