New Grants for Owners of Ships on The National Register of Historic Vessels

In this section

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 February 2007 through to March 2008.

We know that many owners will need some time to set out their needs. However we are keen to make an early impact, so if owners have an urgent project in the pipeline, or wish to go to a conference or attend a training course early in 2007, we welcome approaches now.

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 75% 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 75% of costs
Total for Conference Bursaries £3000

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 £2000 or 75% (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 £2000 or 75% of costs
Total for Training Bursaries £10,000

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 be made to a maximum figure of £3000 or 75% (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 £3000 or 75% of costs
Total for Sustainability Grants £30,000

Grant Applications are welcome from today.

Please send application letters to:

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

Grant Conditions & Guidelines

1. Applications

All applications to be made by letter. No email or telephone applications will be considered.
A full breakdown of costs is required with the application for any grant. This should include the estimated cost of the conference/training/project, distance and method of travel, projected accommodation and subsistence.
All applicants should state their timescale e.g. date of conference/training course, or project schedule. These deadlines will be taken into account when grants are awarded.
Each application will be assessed on its own merits. National Historic Ships will be looking for evidence that proposed projects bring good value for money.
One of the key criteria for vessels to be registered on the National Register of Historic Vessels (NRHV) is that the vessel is permanently based within the UK. Therefore, any grant awarded is subject to the vessel remaining in the UK. In the event of a vessel being sold abroad within a year of receipt of the grant, the vendor will be responsible for returning the grant to National Historic Ships. Once any vessel is put on the market, we reserve the right to withhold the award pending confirmation of the outcome of the sale. If the vessel remains for sale, we may withdraw the award after a six month review from the date of first notification.

2. Volunteer contributions

If you are applying for a sustainability grant and volunteers will be undertaking some of the work, your application must detail:

the roles volunteers play in the operational phase
how many volunteers are likely to be involved
how many volunteer hours are included in the project
how volunteers will be managed/supervised and who will do this

In-kind contributions should be based on the following values for each volunteer:

professional services, up to £350 a day
skilled labour, £150 a day
unskilled labour, £50 a day

The application should demonstrate that the volunteers have adequate skills to carry out the allotted tasks. Details should also be provided illustrating how the value of volunteer labour has been calculated, by showing the type of activity carried out for each of the three categories above as appropriate.

3. Payment

Once agreed, payment will be made retrospectively on production of proof of expenditure. In order to receive payment, all relevant receipts must be shown. Failure to provide the necessary documentation could result in the grant being withdrawn.

4. Publicity

By making an application, all owners are agreeing that the details of the grant and any images of the relevant project may be used by National Historic Ships for publicity purposes. All personal and business details relating to the owner or trust will remain confidential.

5. Grant conditions

Please note that:

All applications must be for future events or projects – no grants can be issued for conferences/training already undertaken, or work previously completed.
Each application is assessed individually; therefore if an event or project is cancelled, the grant will be withdrawn and re-assessed. Grants are not inter-changeable.

Checklist for Applicants

If you wish to apply for support from the Strategic Development Fund, please ensure that your letter includes the following information:

	What you would spend the money on (in detail)
	What long term benefits there will be to your historic vessel from the money
	What long term public benefits there will be from the money
	The total cost of the project (estimates are accepted)
	The amount of money required
	Details of any other funding received – and applications for funding made – to support the activity you are planning
	Photographs of the current condition of your vessel, if you are applying for support to improve its condition
	Simple drawings of any proposed works
	The timetable – for example, the conference dates, or a project schedule
	The date by which you require a decision (NOT 'as soon as possible')
	Whether you/your organisation is VAT registered – National Historic ships is unable to grant aid recoverable VAT.

Please note:

Whilst we will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible, our office only has a small team and the process will be much faster if all applicants ensure that they cover the points outlined here.

In this section