9 Belgian projects secure major funding from the National Lottery
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24 Jul 2026 •
Reading time: 4 minutes
Belgian heritage is set to receive a new boost. The National Lottery has announced the award of a total of one million euros in funding to nine projects from five Federal Scientific Institutions.
This initiative, made possible by National Lottery players, forms part of a call for proposals launched in spring 2026. Following several months of evaluation, nine initiatives were selected for their ability to showcase Belgian heritage in new ways, whether through digitisation, exhibitions, restoration or immersive experiences for the public.
A call for proposals that attracted numerous applications
The process began on 18 March 2026, when the National Lottery launched a call for proposals aimed at the country’s ten Federal Scientific Institutions. The funding allocation, set at one million euros, was intended to support initiatives capable of bringing heritage, science and culture to the public in innovative and accessible ways.
Between 18 March and 1 June 2026, twenty proposals were submitted. Following review by an independent panel, nine projects from five institutions were ultimately selected.
For the National Lottery, this selection reflects the current changes taking place in the heritage sector. The winning projects focus in particular on the digitisation of collections, travelling exhibitions, the restoration of works, artistic collaborations and new forms of public engagement.
The State Archives have secured funding for three major projects
Among the major beneficiaries are the General Archives of the Kingdom and the State Archives in Belgium, three of whose projects have been selected.
The first will take the form of a multilingual travelling exhibition dedicated to the economic history of eastern Belgium since 1815. The initiative aims to tell this story through the relationships between territories, borders and the resilience of local communities.
The second project, entitled ‘Brussels Lost’, will offer an in-depth look at the capital’s urban transformations along the North-South junction. Through original archive material, an exhibition at Train World and a tour of public spaces, the public will be able to rediscover a part of Brussels’ history that is largely unknown today.
The third project, named ‘Lighting up Belgium’, will showcase an impressive collection of over 250,000 photographs from the forensic science department. This exceptional documentary heritage will be further promoted in order to raise public awareness of this historical resource.
When the results were announced, Sébastien Dubois, Chief Operating Officer at the General Archives of the Kingdom, welcomed this selection:
“Thank you to the National Lottery for its invaluable support in promoting Belgium’s heritage!”
Five federal institutions receive funding
The State Archives are not the only ones to benefit from this support.
The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) has had two projects selected: Filosofia & Fortuna and BelgicaPress.
The Royal Institute for Artistic Heritage has also secured funding for Het Lam Gods onderweg, whilst the Art & History Museum has been selected for its project dedicated to the film Het Museum van België.
Finally, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium round off the list of winners with the projects Learn & Creative Stations and Schuiten & Peeters x Magritte.
Preserving heritage whilst preparing for the future
Beyond the funding itself, the National Lottery emphasises the significance of these initiatives.
According to its managing director, Jannie Haek:
“Our heritage is our natural wealth. It is essential to preserve it, just as we must preserve nature and the climate. For heritage does not merely connect us to the past: it also propels us towards the future. The winning projects show that it is anything but outdated and that, on the contrary, it can fuel innovation. Indeed, we demonstrate this every day at the National Lottery: the first lottery organised in Bruges in 1441 is part of our heritage, and today we continue to reinvent it, time and time again.”
One million euros made possible by players
The National Lottery points out that this funding is made possible directly by the participation of its players.
According to the organisation, this support will enable the nine projects to realise their ambitions over the coming years and to broaden their impact on the public, both in Belgium and abroad.
A new milestone for federal scientific institutions
By supporting nine projects from five different institutions, the National Lottery reaffirms its commitment to encouraging initiatives that combine heritage, science and culture, with a view to making these resources more visible, more accessible and more vibrant for as many people as possible.