Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) for 2025 has been announced by Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
 
This scheme aims to support a significant number of projects across the country and the employment of skilled and experienced conservation professionals, craftspeople and tradespersons in the repair of the historic built environment
 
Since 2016, Waterford City and County has been allocated almost €2 million  for conservation projects under these schemes. So far this has supported 168 projects, provided over 11,000 days of employment and has generated expenditure of over €4 million. These figures do not include the non-conservation element of the projects, which have generated additional local employment and spend. The projects funded in Waterford have ranged in scope from essential repairs of rainwater goods, walls, windows, chimney and thatch roofs, to the repair of stained glass windows and shopfronts.
 
The BHIS provides funding for repair/conservation works to the following types of buildings (or qualifying structures):

1. Protected structures - buildings that are listed on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS)
2. Proposed protected structures - buildings that the Local Authority propose to include on this list
3. Structures in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) - buildings that are located within areas defined as an ACA in the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022-2028 
4. Vernacular buildings such as farm buildings
5. Historic Shopfronts

For 2025 there have been some changes to the BHIS from previous years.

• The advertising of the scheme  is much earlier than usual. This will allow the details of the successful projects and the amount of funding to be announced in early January 2025 and will give the  applicants and contractors additional time to arrange and complete the works in 2025.
• The funding awarded for successful projects will be between €2,500 and a maximum of €50,000.
• The total value of all public funding provided for individual projects can be up to 80% of the total project cost and this  will be determined by the Local Authority on a case by case basis.

The scheme will be administered by the Conservation Section, Waterford City and County Council. Full details of the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025, including the application form, a guidance document for applicants and list of eligible works are available at www.waterfordcouncil.ie. The Irish language versions of the An Scéim Infheistíochta don Oidhreacht Thógtha (BHIS) 2025 Circular and Application Form are available on https://www.gov.ie/ga/seirbhis/sceim-infheistiochta-don-oidhreacht-thogtha-siot/ and https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f8d8a-built-heritage-investment-scheme-bhis/
 
Completed application forms and photos of the structures to be submitted only by email  to Planning@waterfordcouncil.ie by Friday 27th of September 2024.