CAHG Launches £20,000 Tender to Boost Digital Skills in Community Heritage Sector

Posted By: Christopher Morganon: November 07, 2025In: Innovate & Inspire, Local History, News

Reading Time: 2 minutes

By KLTV Newsdesk –

Freelance consultants invited to help empower volunteer-led archives across the UK as part of a major national heritage initiative

The Community Archives and Heritage Group (CAHG) has announced a new tender opportunity for a freelance consultant, or consortium of consultants, to lead its Digital Skills Development Project, a key strand of the ‘Spaces, Places and Belonging’ (SPB) programme.

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by The National Archives, the two-year initiative aims to enhance the digital capacity of community archives and heritage groups across the UK.

Working alongside partners such as Leeds Museums and Galleries and the National Library of Wales, CAHG will deliver training, workshops and online resources to strengthen the digital foundations of grassroots heritage work.

Empowering Volunteer-Led Archives

Community archives play a vital role in preserving local stories, identities, and shared experiences. Run largely by volunteers, these groups often face challenges around digital cataloguing, scanning, and web development.

The Digital Skills Development Project seeks to address these gaps through:

Practical digital skills workshops at the 2026 CAHG Conference and at four regional events across the UK.
A quarterly webinar series, offering national access to expert-led training.
New online resources and editorial updates for the Community Archives website and the SPB digital platform.

Tender Details and Scope of Work

CAHG is inviting proposals from experienced consultants with a strong understanding of community heritage and digital practice. The successful bidder will:

Coordinate workshops, webinars, and online events.
Collaborate with speakers, regional hosts, and digital experts.
Publish and promote project outputs across CAHG and SPB platforms.

The project is expected to require a minimum of 75 days’ work, with a maximum budget of £20,000 (including VAT).

Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be covered separately. Most activity will take place during 2026, with some extending into 2027.

Highlights from the 2025 CAHG Conference, held at the University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

What CAHG Is Looking For

Proposals should outline:

A project plan and timeline.
Relevant experience in community heritage, training, and digital content development.
Examples of previous similar work and a detailed cost breakdown.

Applications will be assessed using the following criteria: