About the NAG Grant
This NAG Grant, launched in 2019, aims to enable public libraries to explore a project without requiring a lengthy application process and with the flexibility to cover a range of circumstances. It could be developing a pilot project, or implementing an existing pilot within the service or with a wider audience.
For 2026 we offered two grants of £1,500 thanks to the sponsorship of Open Fifth who supported one of the Grants. Both winners will be required to participate in a NAG webinar in 2026/27 presenting their winning project and the impacts and outcomes it has achieved. The winners were also invited to the 2026 NAG Forum to receive their award on 20th May in Nottingham and have the option of presenting their projects at the 2027 Forum.
The winners for 2026 were Oldham Library with “Study Well: The Young People’s Exam Hub” and Lewisham Libraries “Downham Library SEND Families Sessions”; you can read more about their project and all of our previous winners below.
In 2019, our co-chair, Alison Millar explained the motivation behind providing this fund:
“As co-chair I am keen that NAG gives opportunities for public libraries to learn from each other and because of that I am so pleased that NAG are offering this award. While we welcome innovative new projects we are also excited to fund the “what if?” type of project. Have you had something that you have wanted to give a go for a while? Do you have a problem that you would like to try out solutions for? Then this NAG grant is for you. If you are awarded the fund all we need afterwards is for you to share your experiences with other library colleagues.”
We have no set requirements for a project but aspects the panel will consider include the value for money in terms of how many people will this project reach, the long term sustainability after the initial grant funded period, and the level of innovation and whether it will potentially provide a new model or idea for other libraries around the UK to copy or adapt. The more information you can give around these aspects, the higher your project is likely to score.
All applicants for the NAG Grant must be current NAG members. Public Library membership is currently discounted to £75.00 +VAT. To view the 2026 application process, please download the PDF below with further details and full terms and conditions. We expect applications for 2027 to open in December 2026.
Attendance of the winners at the NAG Forum 2026 was kindly sponsored by Star Books
We are always keen to extend the availability of the NAG Public Library Grant – if you are a commercial company who might be able to support a further £1,500 award for 2027 we would be delighted to hear from you.
Our two 2026 Grants went to:
Oldham Library for their Study Well: The Young People’s Exam Hub project.
“Study Well” has emerged from the busy study environment of Oldham Library where, every spring, it becomes a vital study space for hundreds of teenagers, many of whom have no other quiet or safe place to revise. These teens need to balance academic demands with their wellbeing and this programme is designed to address this need, combining wellbeing‑focused resources, short drop‑in activities, and light‑touch emotional support at the moments students need it most.
Thanks to sponsorship from Open Fifth
Lewisham Libraries for their Downham Library SEND Families Sessions project.
Lewisham Libraries project builds on an existing successful project at Downham Library with their specialist SEND Families sessions and aims to better resource this popular library activity and roll it out across the borough with mobile “party starter” kits for their Signs and Symbols Disco and specialist training for the library staff delivering the sessions.
The projects will be presented to other NAG members at a webinar event during 2026/27 with the option to also present them at the Forum event in May 2027 and will be featured in our Members’ journal Taking Stock to enable sharing and discussion.
