Capital grants of £50,000 to £500,000 to Local Authorities to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology so they are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using Libraries.
The criteria for the Libraries Improvement Fund have been set by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England. The grants are administered, awarded, and monitored by Arts Council England. Funding has been provided by DCMS.
The aims of this fund are to:
- increase the sustainability and potential for transformation of libraries by developing more flexible, more commercial spaces
- increase and improve digital access within communities
- connect libraries to their communities and increase library use
The impacts they expect to see from this fund are:
- future-proofed, modern libraries able to meet evolving patterns of use
- improved user satisfaction
- improved perception of the value and role of libraries
- libraries used by a greater diversity of users
- increased access to library collections by local communities
- increase in digital access and securing libraries’ role as the place to do that
- increased collaboration with a wider range of local partners
The outcomes they expect to see from recipients of this investment are:
- More community groups using library space
- Increased number of users accessing collections and services
- Increased users accessing makerspace technology
- More revenue taken in commercial income
- Increased number of PCs/devices available to users
- Fewer libraries running outdated operating systems
- Extension of available hours
- Increased number of co-located services
For Community Managed Libraries, the lead applicant must be an English Local Authority. Other organisations are welcomed as project partners but may not apply without a Local Authority as the lead applicant.
Applications can be made for one or multiple branches. You can combine these into one application or apply separately if you wish.
Before you can start an application, you need to create a user account and applicant profile. Please note that new Grantium profiles can take up to ten working days to be approved.
Expression of interest for the fund will open on Grantium at 10am on Tuesday 6 May 2025. Please make sure that all the information in your Grantium profile is up to date before you apply.
Expressions of interest close at midday on 30 May 2025.
If you are invited to make a full application, this will open at 10am on 24 June and close at midday on 1 August 2025.