Foras na Gaeilge - Colmcille Small Grants Scheme

Small grants are available for organisations to support the research and planning of joint initiatives between the language communities of Irish and Scottish Gaeilge.

Colmcille operates through grant schemes and through facilitating and initiating projects. Funding addresses the following themes: the arts, young people, heritage, learning Scottish and Irish Gaelic, partnership and community development, and research.

In Scotland Bòrd na Gàidhlig supports an annual Colmcille grant scheme which specifically seeks to support projects that achieve the following:
• Promoting Gàidhlig and Irish use through the arts
• Using heritage to bring Gaelic-speaking communities together and raise the status of the Gaelic languages
• Bringing young speakers of Scottish and Irish Gaelic together through events or school projects
• Promoting dialogue and sharing of experiences and best practice between Scottish and Irish Gaelic speakers
• Supporting the learning of Irish Gaelic among Scottish Gaelic speakers

In Ireland Foras na Gaeilge, Colmcille opearates on a cross-border basis and has three grant schemes:
• The Colmcille Grant Scheme, for projects, which has two funding rounds per year
• The Colmcille small grant scheme for developing partnerships and projects, which is open continuously
• The Colmcille bursary scheme for Irish speakers learning Scottish Gaelic

Foras na Gaeilge application forms and guidelines are available here.

Small Events Grant 2023

The Ulster-Scots Agency has opened its Ulster-Scots Small Events Grants programme for 2023.

This fund supports events from 1 April to 31 December 2023, including Ulster-Scots events to celebrate the forthcoming Coronation in May.

The maximum grant available is £1,000 (minimum of £500) and this can be used to fund one or two events.

Groups must provide match funding of at least 10%. Support is available from the Ulster-Scots Community Network if groups require assistance with their submission.

Projects must bedelivered up to 31 December 2023 and groups should submit an application form at least one month before their planned event.

Please note: Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the fund is fully allocated.

For more information and to register click here.

If you wish to discuss any of our funding programmes, please contact:

Derek Reaney - reaneyd@ulsterscotsagency.org.uk 

Tel: +353 (7491) 73 876

Mob: 078 4327 9912 

The Festivals Scheme 2023 - First Call

The Festivals Scheme will be open to appropriate local groups to give them an opportunity to develop arts festivals or elements of festivals being run and implemented through the medium of Irish or which Irish language arts are a central part of them between 01 January and 31 May 2023.

This scheme is aimed at festivals that aim to foster and promote the Irish language, the Irish language arts, the indigenous arts, and Irish language heritage through Irish or bilingually, as an integral part of the festival and to provide a stage for the Irish language community, to the wider community, and to the arts sector.

The closing date for applications is 2nd September 2022, and the grant maximum is €5,000/£3,500.

For more information and to apply, please visit The Festivals Scheme 2023 - First Call - Foras Na Gaeilge

Small Grants 2022-23 Tranche 2 now open

Belfast City Council’s Small Grants 2022-23 Tranche 2 are now open for applications for the grants listed below. The submission deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Friday 23 September 2022.

1. Arts and Heritage Project Grant

2. Parks Events Grant

3. S4S Small Development Grant

4. S4S Hospitality Grant

5. S4S Sporting Individual Grant

For guidance notes and to apply online please visit www.belfastcity-grants.com

Belfast City Council will be holding short online information sessions on Thursday 11 August at 10:00 am and Friday 12 August at 2:00 pm on how to apply. To attend, please email cgugrants@BelfastCity.gov.uk

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000

National Lottery Grants for Heritage allows to fund projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK.

Using money raised by the National Lottery, the National Lottery Heritage Fund inspires, leads and resources the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and for the future.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage is an open programme for all types of heritage projects in the UK.

This guidance is for applications for grants from £10,000 to £250,000. It will tell you more about the programme and the types of project we can fund. 

Priorities up to the end of 2022–2023 financial year

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic means we will prioritise heritage projects that: 

• promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people (a mandatory outcome)

• boost the local economy

• encourage skills development and job creation

• support wellbeing

• create better places to live, work and visit

• improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage

Projects must achieve at least our inclusion outcome. In addition to our outcomes, all projects must also consider long-term environmental sustainability.

Please thoroughly read the supplementary document, Priorities for National Lottery Grants for Heritage. This is a formal part of the programme guidance until the end of the financial year 2022–2023. 

Things you need to know

• Requirements: your project must not start before we make a decision and it must focus on heritage in the UK.

• Deadlines for applications: there is no deadline so you can apply whenever you are ready.

• To consider: you can get advice on your project before you apply by submitting an optional Project Enquiry Form. See the Project Enquiry Form's questions.

• Assessment process: once we receive your application and all the correct supporting documents, we will assess your application and give you a decision in eight weeks. The assessment of our first few applications may take slightly longer than eight weeks as we transition back into our normal grant-giving cycle.

• Your contribution: for applications of £100,000 to £250,000 you must contribute at least 5% of your project costs.

For more information and to apply, please visit National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund