Applications open 16th June 2025!
It’s that time again—mark your calendars!
The TownsWeb Archiving Digitisation Grant is officially back for its eighth year, and applications will open on 16th June 2025.
If you want to be among the first to receive the application link once it goes live, be sure to subscribe here for updates!
Watch the announcement video below, featuring TownsWeb CEO Paul Sugden:
Why the Grant Exists
At TownsWeb Archiving, we’ve been helping organisations digitise their cultural heritage collections for over 20 years. Alongside this work, we’ve witnessed how funding pressures continue to challenge those responsible for preserving our shared history.
The TWA Digitisation Grant was established to respond to this need—making our services more accessible and supporting collection holders in safeguarding their archives for generations to come.
The Impact So Far
Since launching the grant, we've awarded over £150,000 to support the digitisation of more than 120 collections. Every project we fund contributes to making heritage more inclusive, discoverable, and secure.
From local archives to national collections, these stories are now preserved and made available for communities, researchers, and the public alike.
Who Can Apply?
We welcome applications from organisations located in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney. This includes:
- Public, private, and charitable archives.
- Libraries, museums, and galleries.
- Business or corporate archives.
You’re also encouraged to apply even if you’ve submitted an application in previous years. Please note: private individuals and digitisation bureaus are not eligible.
Applications will close on 25th July 2025, so don't miss your opportunity to submit your application form!
What the Grant Covers
The funding can be used for a broad range of collection types, specifically:
- Bound volumes (e.g., books, minute books, registers).
- Archive documents (e.g., letters, records, manuscripts).
- Photographs (prints, negatives, slides).
Additionally, part of the grant can go toward metadata transcription and OCR (optical character recognition) data capture to enhance discoverability and accessibility.
What We’re Looking For
Each application is reviewed based on the following four criteria:
- Heritage Need.
- Social & Community Impact.
- Research Value.
- Improved Accessibility.
Full guidance on these areas is available in the application form.
Meet the Judges
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts from the cultural heritage field, including:
- Casper Smithson, Chief Operating Officer, TownsWeb Archiving.
- Sara Pink, Director of Archives & Library at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (and one of last year’s winners!)
- John Chambers, Chief Executive, Archives and Records Association.
Match Funding Returns
For the third year running, we’re pleased to offer our Match Funding Pot. For every eligible application received, we’ll contribute £500 into a shared pot. Eligible organisations can then apply to receive up to £1,000, matched by their own funds.
Match funding applications open on 29th August and close on 10th October 2025. These are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis—so get in early!
How to Apply
Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive the application link as soon as it goes live on 16th June. Remember, applications close on 25th July, 2025, so don't miss out!
Subscribe here: www.townswebarchiving.com/email-newsletter-sign-up-form/
Save the Date: Winners Announcement
The successful recipients of the 2025 grant will be revealed during the ARA Conference in Bristol on 28th August 2025.
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To everyone considering applying—thank you. Your commitment to preserving our shared history is what makes this grant programme so meaningful. Every year, we’re amazed by the creativity, passion, and purpose behind the projects we receive.
Best of luck—we can’t wait to see what you’re working on once applications open on 16th June!
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