Derbyshire Makes | Small Grants Programme

Small Grants programme

Celebrating Derbyshire's heritage of making

This small grant scheme aims to support the heritage sector to take part in Derbyshire Makes.

This could be by hosting events, doing making activities, commissioning new work or projects or just taking part in whichever way you fancy, we're open to lots of ideas.

Stone mason explaining his work to a group of people
Photo Junction Arts
Cepia photo of lines of seated girls and young women wearing white dresses and dark neckerchiefs, a row of boys seated at the front wearing dark waistcoats and light trousers, plus three men sat at the side wearing dark waistcoats and trousers, and an old man with whiskers wearing a woollen suit, holding a hat
Strutt millworkers, Belper. Derbyshire Record Office
Black and white photo of a bare-chested quarryman hammering metal plugs in a piece of stone in a quarry
Derbyshire Record Office Local Studies Collection
Group of women looking at an exhibition of vertical hanging individually decorated ceramic plates
Standing In This Place, Rachel Carter
Older man wearing a red t-shirt holding machinery
Cromford Mills
Bridge over a river with a large red brick mill in the background
Belper
Black and white photo of miners stood in front of a Pit Head in a colliery
Alfreton Colliery workers, Derbyshire Libraries
Squares of different coloured materials filling a wall as viewed through old mill machinery
Masson Mill. Photo Richard Tymon
Stone mason explaining his work to a group of people
Photo Junction Arts
Cepia photo of lines of seated girls and young women wearing white dresses and dark neckerchiefs, a row of boys seated at the front wearing dark waistcoats and light trousers, plus three men sat at the side wearing dark waistcoats and trousers, and an old man with whiskers wearing a woollen suit, holding a hat
Strutt millworkers, Belper. Derbyshire Record Office
Black and white photo of a bare-chested quarryman hammering metal plugs in a piece of stone in a quarry
Derbyshire Record Office Local Studies Collection
Group of women looking at an exhibition of vertical hanging individually decorated ceramic plates
Standing In This Place, Rachel Carter
Older man wearing a red t-shirt holding machinery
Cromford Mills
Bridge over a river with a large red brick mill in the background
Belper
Black and white photo of miners stood in front of a Pit Head in a colliery
Alfreton Colliery workers, Derbyshire Libraries
Squares of different coloured materials filling a wall as viewed through old mill machinery
Masson Mill. Photo Richard Tymon

Heritage Grant

Derbyshire's heritage of makers and innovators has shaped its landscape and communities. Our primary focus will be Derbyshire's industrial heritage of making and we'll explore and celebrate three key industries: textiles and knitting, ceramics, and mining and quarrying.

Aims

Heritage grants are available to Derbyshire-based heritage businesses, museums and community groups, to fund engagement activities, which will:

- engage local communities in making-focussed heritage activities

- tell the stories of Derbyshire's industrial heritage of making

- raise awareness in heritage craft skills and offer opportunities to engage

- celebrate and continue to upskill the heritage craft and construction skills of staff and volunteers

- contribute to The National Heritage Fund investment principles

Activities can take place anywhere, but we are especially keen to fund activities taking place in or around the 6 main hub towns for the festival period April to May 2026 and 2027 in Bolsover, Chesterfield, Cromford (Hub and Spoke - Matlock and Wirksworth), Glossop, Heanor and Swadlincote.

How much could you receive?

Grants of £300 to £2,000 are available.

No match funding is required.

Grants will be assessed for eligibility then assessed by a panel of industry specialists.

Applications

All applicants must apply online.

You can apply at any time but please ensure you submit your applications in plenty of time before your planned activity as we cannot award funds retrospectively.

Applications will be assessed via a panel. We have set the following deadline dates:

1 September 2025

1 November 2025

1 June 2026

1 September 2026

1 November 2026

The fund will be administered by Derbyshire County Council and they will notify you of their decision within six weeks of these deadline dates.

Maude Verney Pleasley Pit 1 Derbyshire Record Office
Maude Verney Pleasley Pit 1 Derbyshire Record Office

Derbyshire Makes History is set up to complement the wider three-year Derbyshire Makes programme, with an exclusive heritage focus, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to champion and support the heritage sector.

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