Grants for monuments and characteristic buildings

The purpose of the grant scheme is to provide financial support for work that contributes to the preservation and conservation of municipal monuments. You can think of repair work, preservation or cultural-historical research. More information about the scheme.

Using the button below, you can apply for the Opsterland Municipal Monuments Subsidy Scheme. 

Submit application

The province of Fryslân establishes this scheme every year. The province gives grants to national monuments, municipal monuments and to characteristic buildings (not residential buildings). More information and how to apply for this subsidy can be found on the website of the province of Fryslân.

Grant scheme for monuments Fryslân 2025 non-residential buildings / SUMO (applications start mid-June)

The grant is for natural persons and legal entities under private law who are owners or beneficial owners of a monument. They must submit the grant application. Owners of a residential monument cannot apply for a grant with this scheme. 

https://www.fryslan.frl/subsidieregeling-monumenten-fryslan

The rijksoverheid grants this subsidy to owners of national monuments that do not originally have a residential function, such as farms, churches, factories and mills. With this subsidy you finance part of the maintenance of your monument. This is sober and efficient maintenance, based on a conservation plan, over a period of 6 years.

https://www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/subsidie-instandhouding-rijksmonumenten

Do you own a structure that does not easily lend itself to another use, such as a church, industrial building, school, barn, monastery or castle? If so, you may be able to take advantage of the reuse grant and, in addition, a sustainability study.

https://www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/subsidie-herbestemming-monumenten

The National Restoration Fund really wants to make a difference to society. We want to make an impact. Ever since our establishment in 1985 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, we have been committed to encouraging the restoration and preservation of monuments. How do we do that? By funding, collaborating and sharing knowledge. We make a difference by supporting those monument owners who, with our financial support, are enabled to make an impact on people, monuments and their surroundings.

www.restauratiefonds.nl

Private owners of national monuments with a residential function can apply for an annual subsidy for the costs incurred in the previous calendar year for the preservation of their national monument (residential subsidy). The National Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) processes the subsidy application.

https://www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/subsidie-woonhuismonumenten and https://www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/subsidie-woonhuismonumenten/nieuws/2024/12/04/woonhuisregeling-met-4-jaar-verlengd

Important partners in the conversion or repurposing of agricultural heritage are farm foundations. Every province has one or more. They not only advise on projects, but also regularly organize activities to exchange knowledge or highlight exemplary projects. All farmstead foundations are united in Agrarisch Erfgoed Nederland (AEN). The purpose of this foundation is to exchange knowledge between the regional and provincial farmstead foundations and to have a greater say in national policy.

The Farmstead Fund is a national fund for stimulating reallocation. It was set up by AEN with support from the Ministry of OCW and in cooperation with the Restoration Fund and the RCE. The fund can support projects for valuable reallocation of agricultural heritage with knowledge and a financial contribution.

A new grant program for major restoration projects on national monuments will open for applications on September 1, 2026. This grant program is intended for non-residential national monuments requiring major restoration work. Until now, these projects in particular have often been left out when it comes to grants. Only projects with more than €2.5 million in eligible restoration costs are eligible. A total of €45 million is available for the program.

The available budget will be divided between two application rounds: one in the fall of 2026 and one in the fall of 2027. If there are more applications than funds available, priority will be given to applications requesting a lower subsidy percentage.

To be eligible for a grant, the eligible restoration costs must total at least €2.5 million. To prevent a small number of large projects from receiving all the available funds, there is a cap of €10 million on eligible restoration costs per application.

Only restoration projects for which an environmental permit for a national monument activity has been granted are eligible for a grant. Owners of green national monuments may also submit an application. For these projects, the minimum eligible restoration cost is €1 million.

Click the button below for more information on applying for the grant.

More information

Owners of historic farmhouses in Fryslân can once again apply for a grant in 2026 to repair their roofs. The province of Fryslân is reopening the program after it was successfully utilized in 2022 and 2023. The grant is intended for restoring farmhouse roofs or replacing non-traditional roofing materials, such as corrugated metal sheets, with thatch or roof tiles. The program is part of the Fryslân Historic Buildings Grant Program.

Grants for National and Municipal Historic Landmarks

The program is available to owners of both national and municipal historic monuments. A grant of up to €25,000 can be requested for the restoration of one or more roof surfaces. Through this program, the province supports the preservation of characteristic Frisian farmhouses, which are an important part of the landscape and cultural heritage. Because restorations are often costly, the program offers financial support.

This is required for an application

To apply for a grant, you’ll need, among other things, a scope of work, a detailed quote, and—for roof restoration projects—an inspection report from Monumentenwacht. Depending on the work to be done, an environmental permit may also be required. You can apply for this with your local municipality. Grant applications may be submitted from September 14 through September 18, 2026.

Grants Are Also Available for Larger Restoration Projects

Owners of national historic monuments can also apply for a grant to fully restore the farmhouse or the roof. For municipal historic monuments, grants are also available for major restoration projects, with a maximum contribution of €25,000. The application process is similar to that for restoring a single roof section.

More information about the program and the application form can be found on the Fryslân province website.

More information
 

The Cultural Fund, the National Restoration Fund and nine provinces are working together in the Cultural Funds for Monuments. The fund provides low-interest loans for the restoration, preservation and reallocation of municipal and provincial monuments or characteristic buildings. The Culture Funds thus have an important role in strengthening local heritage and thus preserving the unique character and identity of regions. And they contribute to accelerating energy transition and preparing monuments for the future.

https://www.cultuurfonds.nl/erfgoed-monumentenzorg

With the Monument Mortgage, the Restoration Fund has a suitable loan for every monument owner, provided you restore, preserve or re-purpose your property. You can apply for this mortgage to finance your restoration, but also as additional financing. So it does not matter whether it is a national, municipal or provincial monument. You can use the Monument Mortgage if:

• Restoration and sustainability financing when you are already using maximum low-interest financing
• When you want to finance the restoration, preservation or repurposing of your municipal monument and there are no low-interest financing options.

A Monument Mortgage has three repayment options; annuity, straight-line and no-repayment. For the Monument Mortgage we use market interest rates with the choice of fixing the interest rate for 5, 10 or 15 years.

https://www.restauratiefonds.nl/particulier/financieren/alle-financieringen/monumenten-hypotheek