The Heritage Lottery Fund has launched a £1.5 million funding programme aimed at supporting heritage and cultural organisations to take partnership approaches to place-based regeneration in Wales.

The Great Place Scheme, which is already active in England and Scotland, is funded by the National Lottery and promotes the use of culture and heritage in improving areas in Wales.

Through grants of £100,000 to £500,000, the Scheme will support heritage and cultural organisations in making a step-change in how they work both together, and with organisations in other sectors. The grants are available for partnership projects that tackle issues such as poverty, inequality, employment, education, and health, from town and city-wide initiatives to smaller, rural proposals. Between five and eight projects will be funded across Wales.

The activities could range from using arts and heritage in the provision of local education and health services, to increasing people’s skills, and the development of local strategies to maximise community benefit through cultural events.

Kay Andrews, UK trustee and chair of HLF in Wales, said:

“An area’s culture is important not just for its own sake; this scheme will show how it can also boost jobs and local economies, improve education and life chances and promote community cohesion and well-being. “Using National Lottery players’ money we are promoting a step-change in thinking and it is a natural progression from some initiatives already in place such as the Welsh Government’s Fusion programme and the Arts Council’s Ideas, People, Places programme. We look forward to hearing how communities across Wales want to use their own heritage to shape an exciting future for everyone who lives there.”

Applications will need to be led by a not-for-profit organisation and projects must demonstrate a contribution to growth in the local economy. Expressions of interest should be submitted by mid August 2017 with final applications submitted by December 2017. Funding decisions will be made in March 2018.