Emergency Fund Helps Brabant National Monuments in Acute Problems

The new scheme complements the annual restoration scheme for the preservation and maintenance of national monuments. This scheme has been consistently oversubscribed in recent years. Last year, 35 applications were received, of which 12 were granted after a lottery. The remaining projects missed out because the budget was exhausted within one day.

Emergency Measures for Acute Cases

Owners who do not receive subsidies under the regular restoration scheme but do face urgent maintenance problems can now apply for the emergency measures scheme. Applications can be submitted from May 18, 2026, once it is known which monuments did not receive subsidies through the regular restoration scheme. The application period lasts six months.

‘Preventing Bad Luck from Causing Irreparable Damage’

“In recent years, the restoration scheme was consistently oversubscribed, resulting in lotteries,” says Deputy Bas Maes (Culture, Heritage, Sports & Leisure). “A monument where, figuratively speaking, the roof tiles are falling off could be left out year after year. To prevent irreparable damage to our Brabant heritage due to bad luck, we now reserve part of the budget for urgent situations that cannot wait.”
The province responds to concerns from various national monument owners, including the Basilica in Oudenbosch, which was excluded from restoration subsidies two years in a row. The water tower in Raamsdonk, the Hof van Solms in Oirschot, and the church in Den Dungen also faced this issue.

Regular Restoration Subsidy Reopens in January

From January 26 to February 2, 2026, owners of national monuments can again apply for subsidies for major restoration projects. A maximum of €400,000 is available per monument. A total of €3.6 million is available for this regular restoration scheme. Including the emergency fund, the province and the national government will provide €4 million next year for the restoration of national monuments in Brabant.

Brabant Heritage Fund

In addition to the provincial restoration schemes, monument owners can also use the Brabant Heritage Fund this year, a €50 million fund managed by the National Restoration Fund. (links to another website) The fund offers low-interest loans for maintenance, restoration, repurposing, sustainability, and climate-adaptive measures for monuments. This makes the Brabant Heritage Fund the first provincial fund in the Netherlands to also focus on climate resilience of monuments and cultural-historical landscapes. Owners of national monuments, municipal monuments, and culturally valuable objects and areas can apply for a loan via the Restoration Funds website. Repayments flow back into the fund, creating a financing source for future projects.