The county has a great wealth of historic buildings that all require a specific set of skills and expertise to conserve and these skills are increasingly difficult to find.
With funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, we are launching a new bursary scheme, as part of Derbyshire Makes History, to help increase key skills in heritage building and conservation craft skills, such as lime plastering, stone masonry and heritage joinery.
With support from some Derbyshire's key heritage and conservation partners, including the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust and the Arkwright Society, these bursaries have been set up to help increase local skills in Derbyshire and to help subsidise the cost of training.
Who can apply
Only those working or living in Derbyshire are eligible to apply. Training can though take place anywhere in the country.
Bursaries are for:
- new entrants who have demonstrated a commitment to starting a new heritage building career and need to acquire the necessary hand skills
- early-career practitioners who have not yet attained the hand skills required to achieve commercial success
- mid-career practitioners who need to acquire distinctly different hand skills to develop new ways of achieving commercial success
What the bursaries can be used for
The bursary can fully fund or contribute towards the costs of:
- mentoring / training with a crafts person / people
- attending a specialist training course (accredited or non-accredited)
- undertaking a self-directed programme of training with one or more craftspeople, this could include on the job training
- the cost of specialist tools or materials, books or study materials, or supporting travel and accommodation (no more than 30% of total budget)
These bursaries cannot be used for:
- general living expenses, research, promotional activities or anything else
- predominantly online or academic learning, this training needs to be primarily hands-on
- essential running costs of your business, like statutory obligations, utility bills, overheads, insurance, for example
How much is available
Funding of any amount up to £2,500 is available per applicant, with total funding available for up to 4 bursaries.
Timescales
- the deadline for applications is 5pm on 27 April 2026
- if you are shortlisted you may be invited for a short online interview on 5 May 2026
- all applicants will be notified the decision by 22 May 2026
- training must take place between 1 June 2026 and 31 May 2027
- all final claims need to be made by 12 June 2027
Do I need to have found a training provider before I apply
Ideally you will need to have a firm idea of the training you need and who will provide it as this will help you to answer all the questions on the application form, and will give you the best chance of success.
If, however, you are a new entrant to the trade, or you just can't find the trainer you require, we and our partners may be able to help, but please get in touch well before the deadline.
How to apply
Apply for a Heritage Building and Conservation Craft Skills Bursary
To complete an application, you'll need:
- Details of the training you'd like to take part in. This could be informal one-to-one training or as part of a formal course, or a combination of both. If you're struggling to find the right training provider, we may be able to help you, but contact us in plenty of time.
- Costs for the training and a breakdown of how you would use the funds.
- You'll be asked to share the contact details of a referee who can provide a reference in support of your application. For reference only:
- the referee could work from a current employer or be a previous trainer or teacher
- they should not be a family member or an individual you are planning on training with
- ensure they consent to being your reference
To help you with the questions a PDF version of the questionnaire is attached to this page. This is for reference only - you need to apply online.
You also need to complete the equality and diversity monitoring form.
Selection process
A small panel will meet to review applications and make decisions. Decisions will be based on the following criteria:
- impact of award - meeting the project outcomes
- quality of response - application form answers
- balance of activity (geographic, craft type, level of experience of practitioners) the panel wants to ensure and a diverse and balanced range of activity
- value for money
- ability to undertake the training on time and within budget
Grant payments and requirements
Bursaries will be paid:
- 50% upfront payment, once a signed funding agreement is in place - you'll be expected at the half-way point to provide a short update on progress and provide us with a couple of images of you carrying out the training that we may use for publicity purposes
- 50% on project completion subject to monitoring checks
Final grant claim requirements:
- copies of receipts and proof of expenditure
- completed bursary claim form
- short monitoring report
Background information
Derbyshire Makes is an ambitious 3-year programme which celebrates making in all its forms and shines a spotlight on the county's extraordinary creative and cultural industries.
Derbyshire Makes History is set up to complement the wider 3-year Derbyshire Makes programme, with an exclusive heritage focus, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A key focus of the programme will be raising awareness of our traditional heritage craft skills and offering opportunities to engage.
Important points
There is no right of appeal against the decision.
Bursaries cannot be applied for retrospectively. A signed bursary agreement must be in place before any items that forms part of an application are purchased.
Contact us
If you have any queries email regeneration@derbyshire.gov.uk.