Grants are available for voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland to support them in making their buildings more energy efficient, helping to save money on bills.

Fund Information

Funding body: National Lottery Community Fund - Northern Ireland

Maximum value: £ 50,000

Application deadline: 20/03/2024

Background

The Sustainable Community Buildings programme is provided and administered in Northern Ireland by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended to support organisations with reducing their carbon footprint, creating an environment plan, and improving the environmental performance of their community buildings.

Value Notes

Grants of up to £50,000 are available.

Organisations that apply to the programme will also take part in free carbon literacy training delivered by Business in the Community, which will help them to look at ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Action Renewables will also support organisations to write and implement an environmental plan to consider steps to improve sustainability and cut costs.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from voluntary and community organisations with an annual income of less than £500,000. This includes:

Registered charities.
Unregistered voluntary or community organisations with a governing document, e.g. a constitution.
Not-for-profit companies (company limited by guarantee).
Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO or SCIO).
Community Interest Companies (CIC).

To be eligible, applicants must:

Have at least two board or committee members who are not related.
Have a bank account in the organisation's name.

The applicant's community building must meet the following criteria:

The building must have been built before 2005.
The organisation must own their building or have an unbreakable lease for at least six years.
The building must be open and used, evidenced by the number of people who use the building and its opening hours.
The organisation must not be solely focused on delivering sports activities, or affiliated with a governing body of sport (recognised by Sport Northern Ireland).
The building must not already have solar panels.

Location

Northern Ireland

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

Anything that is not listed on the environment plan that the applicant creates together with a sustainability expert.
Revenue costs for the organisation, e.g. salaries or running costs.
Activities or events.
Sports clubs that are affiliated with a governing body of sport (recognised by Sport Northern Ireland) - for example, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ulster Rugby and Irish Football Association.
Individuals.
Sole traders.
Faith or religious institutions - such as churches, synagogues and mosques. However, faith-based groups that are working in a community setting are eligible.
Organisations based outside Northern Ireland.
Companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including Companies Limited by Shares).
Statutory organisations.
Schools.
Organisations applying to more than one National Lottery Community Fund programme for the same project over the same period.
One organisation applying on behalf of another.
Applications written on behalf of an organisation by private businesses or consultants.

Eligible Expenditure

Grants may be used for capital funding only.

Upon completing carbon literacy training and creating an environment plan, organisations invited to apply for funding to improve their building's environmental performance may use grants to support costs including:

Solar panels.
Battery storage.
Ground-source heat pumps.
Energy efficient lighting.
New insulation.
Energy-efficient windows and doors.

How To Apply

The Sustainable Community Buildings programme will open in stages across Northern Ireland.

In the first application period from 7 February 2024 to 20 March 2024, applications will be accepted from organisations with community buildings located in the following council areas:

Ards and North Down Borough Council
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Mid Ulster District Council
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

In the second application period from 11 September 2024 to 23 October 2024, applications will be accepted from organisations with community buildings located in the following council areas:

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

In the third application period from 8 January 2025 to 19 February 2025, applications will be accepted from organisations with community buildings located in the following council areas:

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Belfast City Council
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

For all applicants, there is a two-stage application process:

Stage 1: submit an Expression of Interest - National Lottery Community Fund aims to give applicants a decision in around six weeks. If successful, applicants will be invited to Stage 2.
Stage 2: full application for funding.

Organisations successful at stage one will be asked to sign up to carbon literacy training. National Lottery Community Fund will also ask organisations to work with a sustainability expert to create an environment plan for their organisation.

Guidance notes and the online Expression of Interest form can be found on the National Lottery Community Fund website.

Useful links

National Lottery Community Fund - Sustainable Community Buildings Programme

Sustainable Community Buildings | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Deadline - First Application Period

Application start date:

07/02/2024

Application end date:

20/03/2024

Frequency:

Key Deadline

This application period is for organisations with community buildings located in the following council areas: