New Grants for Owners of Ships on The National Register of Historic Vessels - The Strategic Development Fund

National Historic Ships is delighted to announce an initiative to support owners of historic vessels and the ships in their safe keeping. With the help of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, we are now able to give small grants designed to assist owners in the following ways:

• Attending conferences, seminars, and workshops on historic ships, through which owners can learn more about the conservation, management, and operation of historic vessels, and meet and mix with the wide range of people involved in such ships.
• Developing personal skills by taking part in training courses and by working alongside traditional boat builders who can share their experience and expertise.
• Ensuring the long-term sustainability of historic vessels through grants targeted at helping owners with special purchases of materials and equipment, carrying out surveys, developing conservation management plans, and a whole range of other activities.

Full details of what the grants can cover and how to apply for them are set out below. The grants will be available from April 2008 through to March 2009. Please see also our Grant Conditions and Guidelines page.

We are keen to help individual owners in caring for their vessels, but at the same time we will be looking to support projects which show wider benefits to the historic ships community. These benefits may take a variety of forms:- sharing skills and knowledge learned through a bursary scheme with others; setting up arrangements which will ensure the long-term future of a vessel for public benefit; writing a ship conservation management plan which can then be shared; publishing vessel histories and educational material; producing exhibitions; creating a working environment where volunteers can come and help to conserve and restore a particular vessel. No doubt owners will come up with all sorts of creative ideas.

And so to the grants themselves:

1. Bursaries

The aim of these is:

To develop the individual and collective capacity of owners of historic vessels on the NRHV in the understanding and care of their vessels, so that they are in a better position to achieve long-term sustainable solutions through

(i) Conference Bursaries:- These are aimed at helping private owners and small trusts to attend relevant conferences. This will help to develop a broader understanding of the issues which affect historic vessels and to place these within wider heritage conservation debates. Bursaries will be offered to a maximum award of £350 per person or 50% of the outstanding costs (whichever is the lesser) of attending the nominated conference. Eligible costs will include conference fees, accommodation, travel, and subsistence costs. Bursaries will be limited to one person per organisation and priority will be given to individuals and small organisations. All relevant UK and European maritime-related conferences will be eligible.

• Maximum for Individual Bursaries £350 or 50% of costs

Application will be by letter, giving details of the conference, expected benefits and outcomes, and any applications for other funding to help meet costs.

(ii) Training Bursaries:- Grants towards the cost of training courses in the European Union and beyond where demonstrable added value will be gained by groups which give active support to vessels on the NHRV attending training in institutions with an outstanding record in the conservation, restoration and management of historic vessels. These are designed to encourage individuals to develop skills by attending formal short courses in conservation, boat repair, boat-building, characteristics of materials (timber, textiles, fastenings) etc, or to take up placements with yards or organisations carrying undertaking best practice in these fields. They can also be used where nominated contractors for vessel projects need to develop specific skills in order to ensure that their approach to undertaking a particular piece of work meets appropriate conservation standards. Each bursary will be to a maximum of £1000 or 50% (whichever is the lesser) of the outstanding costs. Eligible costs will include course fees, accommodation, travel, and subsistence costs. Courses in the UK and the EU (where relevance and cost-effectiveness can be shown) will be eligible.

• Maximum for Individual Bursaries £1000 or 50% of costs

Application will be by letter, giving details of the proposed course, expected benefits and outcomes, including any qualifications which may be awarded (such as certificates, NVQs etc) and any applications for other funding to help meet costs.

2. Sustainability Awards

The aim of these is:

To support individual owners and small trusts to carry out pieces of work which are essential to secure the survival and sustainability of vessels on the NRHV in their care. It will be critical to demonstrate how an award will deliver public benefits as well as supporting the vessel itself. Eligible work may include:

• Writing Conservation Management Plans
• Writing Business Plans
• Setting up a charitable trust to look after the vessel in the long term
• Creating a permanent archive (costs of recording equipment, materials, archive storage etc)
• Survey costs
• Remedial works demanding specialist and expensive materials
• Emergency works to rescue a vessel from loss
• Protective works (e.g. durable covers to protect vessels while remedial works are carried out)
• Interpretation for public benefit (signs etc., published vessel histories, leaflets, books etc.)

Awards will normally be restricted to a maximum figure of £2000 or 50% (whichever is the lesser).

Application will be by letter, stating the nature of the project, the long-term project and public benefits deriving from a sustainability award, and any applications for other funding in order to help meet costs. Photographs indicating present condition and plans and drawings of the proposed scheme will be essential where the project involves physical works.

• Maximum for Individual Grants £2000 or 50% of costs

NB: In exceptional circumstances consideration will be given to grants of either up to 75% or making awards to such projects up to a maximum of £3000.

Grant Applications are welcome from today.

Please send application letters to:

The Award Panel, National Historic Ships
Park Row, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NF

Before making an applicaton, please read our Grant Conditions and Guidelines page.