Funding is available to community-focused organisations for projects to help people improve and to connect with Northern Ireland's aquatic environment.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has launched the 2025/26 call for applications to the Water Quality Improvement Strand of its Environmental Challenge Fund Competition. The competition is open to applications from constituted not-for-profit organisations and local authorities, with projects beginning from Spring 2025.

In 2024/25, 15 projects received funding totalling £310,000.

All on the ground project activity must take place in Northern Ireland, with the three key themes for funding under this challenge competition as follows:

Connecting people with the aquatic environment to achieve behavioural change.
Conservation and restoration of our aquatic environments.
Nature-based solutions, particularly for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Capital grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 are available to cover up to 85% of eligible project costs. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that sufficient match funding is available to complete their project, and projects must be completed by 28 February 2026.

The deadline for applications is 14 February 2025 (23:59).

For more information, please visit Environment Fund 2023 - 2028 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs