The Connect Fund awards funding to strengthen civic East-West collaboration on matters of shared interest, including mutual challenges and opportunities across a range of sectors that directly affect communities in Northern Ireland. Applicants can bid for projects with a value from £300 to £50,000 with a total of £500,000 available for Round 3.

The Connect Fund supports projects that deliver on one or more of the following objectives:

· Strengthen East-West connections by developing long lasting civic relationships;

· Propose an original approach to developing East-West connections;

· Support the development of cultural, sports and people-to-people links;

· Build leadership capability opportunities for community leaders on an East-West basis; and

· Facilitate positive and constructive dialogue on shared opportunities/challenges facing communities in the UK.

Connect Fund Round 3 will feature a single application window from 2 November 2026 - 17:00pm 18 December 2026. Funding will be available for project delivery between 1 April 2027 and 31 March 2028.

We will be hosting a series of information sessions to support prospective applicants which your organisation or wider networks may find valuable. We would be delighted to see representatives from your organisation attend any of these sessions and encourage you to share these details with any community and voluntary partners you believe could benefit. The link to register is here.

For more information and to apply for Round 3 of the Connect Fund, please visit: https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/connect-fund-1#summary

September 8, 2026

Growing Green Minds: How MACCA's Summer Scheme Planted a Love of Nature in Omagh

When Mullaghmore & Castleview Community Association (MACCA) in Omagh set out to plan this year's summer scheme, they took a chance on something different. Alongside the usual trips to the cinema and play areas, children aged 5 to 14 spent a full week immersed in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Future Farmers programme exploring the natural world on their own doorstep. The risk paid off in a big way!

August 12, 2026

Meet the New ONSIDE Evolution Team!

The ONSIDE Evolution Project is set to launch next month, and we are so excited that we thought we’d introduce our training team in advance! Meet the team hard at work preparing materials to make technology more accessible and empower people to use digital tools with greater confidence.

July 28, 2026

Radius Housing Achieves Platinum-Level Tenant Participation Accreditation

Radius Housing has been awarded Supporting Communities' Platinum-level Tenant Participation Accreditation, the highest of the four accreditation levels, in recognition of sector-leading quality in its tenant engagement practices.

July 21, 2026

Choice Housing becomes the first social housing provider to achieve Platinum Tenant Participation Accreditation

Choice Housing has become the first social housing provider in Northern Ireland to achieve Platinum Accreditation under Supporting Communities’ Tenant Participation (TP) Accreditation Framework, setting a new benchmark for tenant engagement across the sector.