Community Relations / Cultural Diversity Small Grant Fund

Do you have an idea for a cross-community or cross-cultural project?  An event, video, conference, research?  Do you need funding for this activity?

Northern Ireland Community Relations Council (NICRC) will be delivering a funding clinic for community groups in Mid Ulster.  This will take place at The Junction, Beechvalley Way, Dungannon on Wednesday October 5th at 2pm. 

NICRC’s  Community Relations / Cultural Diversity | Community Relations Council (community-relations.org.uk) invites applications for projects that can be completed by March 31st 2023.  Closing date for applications is December 16th 2022.  Funding of up to £10,000 is available but it is more typical for £2,000- £3,000 for first application.

The workshop will last approximately 90 minutes and you will receive information about how to put together a successful application.

To book a place please email philip.mcquaid@stepni.org

DAERA Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2022 (DRMCG 2022)

This Scheme is funded under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme.

To apply for the scheme you must register using the following link: https://daera.outsystemsenterprise.com/RMCGS/StartPage

After registration you will be able to complete and submit your application and have access to the grant Guidance notes.

Micro Capital grants of between £200 and £1,500 are available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation. The total project cost must not exceed £3,000.

Projects must clearly address an issue of rural poverty and / or social isolation and applicants must provide a minimum of 15% match funding. The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2022 has been designed to:

• Help rural community-led, voluntary groups to address local issues of access poverty, financial poverty and social isolation; and

• Improve the lives of rural communities, and in particular the wellbeing of isolated individuals.

Projects must focus on one of the following 4 themes:

• Modernisation (of premises / assets)

• Information Communication Technology (ICT)

• Health and Well-being

• Energy Efficiency / Environmental Improvement

Applications CLOSE 12noon Friday 30 Sept 2022.

In Mid Ulster District Council Area Contact COSTA or CWSAN for information or assistance.

Loraine in COSTA Tel: 028 855 56880 email info.costa@btconnect.com

Marguerite in CWSAN Tel: 028 877 38845 email: microgrants@cwsan.org

CWSAN & COSTA Pre-Application Workshops:

Tuesday 6th Sept 2022 @ 10:00am via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7379331902

Thursday 8th Sept 2022 @ 7:00pm via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7379331902

Wednesday 14th Sept 2022 @ 10:00am via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7379331902

Thursday 15th Sept 2022 @ 7:00pm via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7379331902

Travelling with Confidence Grant Programme

A growing number of large and small charities are now providing these travel training schemes and through our new Travel Confidence Grant Programme, we hope to help them and travel providers, to make an immediate impact for disabled people. Examples of grant funding from this programme could include (but is not limited to):

• Grants to improve awareness of responsibilities and influence policy and practice in the transport sector

• Funding to embed a user-led approach to inclusive design and delivery of transport services

• Grants to scale, promote awareness of, and increase access to, travel training programmes that increase skills, knowledge, confidence, choice and control when travelling

• Grants to support the development of accessible tools and technology solutions that support journey planning and in-journey navigation

Charities and organisations can apply for grants from £100,000 to £1 million. To ensure fair and transparent awarding of funding, each application will be assessed consistently against our criteria.

For more information and to apply, please visit Charitable Grants | Travelling with Confidence Grant | Motability

The Santander Foundation Grants Programme

We’ve developed the Financial & Digital Empowerment Fund to help more people in the UK become digitally and financially empowered.

We want to support UK charities to give people the digital confidence, knowledge, and skills to enable then to make better, more informed decisions about money and have access to financial services. Together we can make a positive impact in our communities.

If you’re part of a charitable organisation that shares our ambition, then you’re in the right place. Together, let's make a difference.

There are millions of people in our society that are already at a disadvantage – through age, education, income, disability, or unemployment. Without the right support for them, the social inequality gap will only widen.

Many charitable and community interest organisations work with such groups; with people that feel the impacts of financial or digital exclusion the most.

We want to reach lone parents, single pensioners, migrants and refugees, those with long term illnesses and disabilities,  those struggling to find sustained employment  and households headed by students or part-time workers. These are among the groups most commonly excluded from financial services.

People with low or unstable incomes, or those who have experienced a significant life shock, are particularly affected by financial exclusion. The pandemic will only have made this situation worse, as more and more basic services have moved to the web. We want to help charities build their capacity to help people to become digitally and financially empowered.

We want to provide grants to organisations in the UK, and support you in delivering digital and financial empowerment to people over the next three years.

• We are investing £1.8 million into our Financial & Digital Empowerment Fund in 2021.

• We aim to award 12 grants of up to a total of £150,000 per organisation. We’ll award grants over a three-year period.

If accepted, you can ask for differing amounts in each of the three years. You can request a minimum of £25,000 in any one year, with the maximum of £150,000 over three years.

For more information and to apply, please visit The Santander Foundation | Santander Sustainability

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund

Fund Aims

• The fund will provide support to community and voluntary organisations who wish to explore and or enhance diversity, equity and inclusion within the group and its community.

• Supporting organisations to think about how best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion can be addressed enabling everyone in the community to realise their potential.

Background to the Fund

• Our communities are becoming more diverse. We need to reflect this diversity at all levels.

• As our society changes, our organisations also must change.

• This Fund is supported by Comic Relief to support groups to begin these conversations and reflections, so that they can strive to be inclusive to all.

For the purposes of the fund the Foundation use the following definitions:

Diversity

Involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.

Equity

Fairness or justice in the way we treat people.

Inclusion

Providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized.

Size of Grant:

We will offer grants ranging from £500 to £1,000

We want to prioritise projects that:

• Assist in making organsiations management structures, policies, decision making, activities and programmes reflective of the diversity we have in our society.

• Assisting organisations to Identify the barriers and provide solutions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within their organisation

• Demonstrate a commitment to implementing the solutions, reflecting greater diversity, equity and inclusion in their organisation

Eligibility:

Applicant Must:

• Be constituted and based in Northern Ireland

• Have an active committee and current bank account

• Have financial records and present accounts to your AGM

• Have at least two cheque signatories who are unrelated

• Have an income of £250k or less

What we will fund:

Whilst the Foundation prefers to receive applications seeking support based on lived experience, examples of what could be funded include:

• Diversity Equity and Inclusion Training for management committees and volunteers

• Review of policies and procedures to identify levels of diversity and develop an action plan to update these policies and procedures Developing a group/organisation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan

• Explore how diverse communities can be involved in the design and delivery of programmes and activities

• Community analysis to identify how diverse community is and what could be delivered to support those diverse communities

• Explore a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Leadership Programme

There is no closing date for applications. For more information and to apply, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

BC & P Fund

The BC & P Fund exists to support small, locally based grassroots community projects in the Local Authority areas of Mid and East Antrim, and Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Criteria:

• Priority will be given to applications from small groups, typically with an annual income of less than £200,000, as evidenced in the most recent set of accounts.

• Projects must aim to directly support one of the following specific groups:

  • Young people

  • Older people

  • People with disabilities

• The Fund will not support projects targeting all ages.

• Priority will be given to projects that are:

  • addressing health and wellbeing issues

  • targeting those facing disadvantage (e.g. rural isolation, low income, social exclusion, reduced access to services

  • involving the beneficiaries in their development and delivery

Examples of types of projects that may be supported within Fund themes:

• Community education and training opportunities

• Communication and leadership skills

• Local initiatives to improve resources and community facilities

• Creativity and self-expression through drama, music or a range of arts.

• Inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged communities

• Out of school projects for young people

Who can apply:

• Constituted grass roots community and voluntary groups

• Have a committee of at least three unrelated Trustees/Directors (if there are more than three related, the majority must be unrelated individuals with no financial interest in the organisation.)

Grants available:

The grants are split into two elements:

• Small scale grants that are limited to £3,000 – £4,000

• Larger scale grants that are limited to £10,000 (only two of these grants will be available per round)

Closing date for applications is 3rd October 2022 and more information can be found here BC & P Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

The Cancer Charities’ Support Fund

The Cancer Support Funding award will enable charities to provide a wide range of support services for cancer patients throughout NI, and will cover key areas in the cancer pathway; from pre-diagnosis, through to palliative and end of life care. These services are key support mechanisms towards the implementation of the Cancer Recovery Plan and the Cancer Strategy, and important in working towards the Department’s aim of building cancer service capacity in communities.

The Cancer Charities’ Support Fund will provide support of between £5,000 and £1 million for cancer charities.

The three categories of grant values are:

• £5,000 to £30,000 – Small Grant

• £30,000 to £500,000 – Medium Grant

• £500,000 to £1million – Large Grant

In exceptional circumstances higher awards to charities working together to deliver a proposal, may be considered.

Applications are welcome for projects that must have all the funds spent by March 2024. You can, however, apply for projects over 12 months or up to March 2024.

You should clearly outline in your application the duration of the project and costs associated for each year you are applying for.  This will be used for reporting purposes and you should therefore be as accurate as possible when outlining your application costs.

Fund outcomes:

Specific outcomes that the Fund should deliver are:

• Prevention such as awareness raising sessions and campaigns

• Psychological support/counselling

• Palliative care

• Improved access to information and support services including financial/welfare/ benefits advice, and support available through new technologies

• Enhanced provision of, and access to, practical support for people with cancer

• Services to support physical and mental health and wellbeing

• Specific research into the experience of patients with cancer

• Provision of screening services, and

• Delivery of cancer rehabilitation programmes.

For an application to be successful, it must contribute to at least one of the above outcomes, depending on the level of funding applied for.

Who can apply:

• The charity must be providing or funding services in Northern Ireland. These services should be focused predominantly on people living with cancer, or their support structure

• Charities must be registered or awaiting registration with the Charity Commission

What can be supported:

• Projects which support delivery of at least one of the outcomes above

• Costs associated with project delivery only

• Proposals will be particularly welcome which focus on supporting those living in rural communities, and from the lesser heard/excluded or marginalised communities

• Delivery of Departmental objectives as outlined in strategic frameworks

• Funding for research linked to cancer patient experience will also be eligible, and

• Consideration of other sources of funding may be applied, for example: if the applicant is applying and/or in receipt of funding from any other DoH fund, or support from a Trust, the Foundation may prioritise funding for other applicants who have not accessed other such sources of funding

• Costs associated with IT equipment, providing it will support service delivery and enhance a particular service

• Volunteer expenses, including training

Closing date for applications is 7th October 2022. For more information and to apply, please visit The‌ ‌Cancer‌ ‌Charities’‌ ‌Support‌ Fund‌ ‌ - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund Information Workshop

The Community foundation NI are delighted to be launching a new fund - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund.

About this event

The fund will provide support to community and voluntary organisations who wish to explore and/or enhance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the group and its community.

Supporting organisations to think about how best Diversity, Equity and Inclusion can be addressed, enabling everyone in the community to realise their potential.

Fund opens - 5th September via the Foundations website

Grant size - £500 - £1,000

This fund will prioritise projects that:

- Demonstrate an acknowledgement from the group/organisation that, whilst their communities are becoming more diverse, their management structures, policies, decision making, activities and programmes, may not reflect this diversity and may lead to in-equity and exclusion.

- Set out a pathway which focuses on identifying the barriers and solutions to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within their management structures, policies, decision making, activities and programmes.

- Demonstrate a commitment to implementing the solutions, to reflect greater Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in their management structures, policies, decision making, activities and programmes.

To register for the event please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund Information Workshop Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Climate Action Fund

This funding aims to help communities across the UK to address climate change.

We’re looking for projects that focus on the link between nature and climate. We want to fund projects that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action. We expect these projects to bring other important social and economic benefits. Like the creation of strong, resilient and healthy communities or the development of ‘green’ skills and jobs.

We’re interested in projects that can do at least one of the following:

• show how creating a deeper connection with nature will lead to changing people’s behaviours and greater care for the environment

• show how by bringing nature back into the places we live and work, we can help communities to reduce or adapt to the impacts of climate change.

You can read our blog for examples of projects we’re likely to fund.

We want all the projects we fund to be creative, include everyone and try out new things. Projects also need to show how they can achieve longer-term, larger change that goes beyond the communities they're directly working with.

We’re looking to fund between 12 and 15 projects.

We'll accept applications from either:

• local partnerships

• UK-wide partnerships which are delivered across at least two UK countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Area UK-wide

Suitable for Community and voluntary organisations, charities, public sector, working in partnerships

Funding size Up to £1.5 million over 2 to 5 years, with most projects between £300,000 and £500,000. Development grants of £50,000 to £150,000 over 12 to 18 months

Application deadline Ongoing

Please visit Climate Action Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Grant Making Strategy for 2022-2025

BBC Children and Need have just launched a new Grant-Making Strategy for 2022-2025, with a new funding programme launching mid-October this year. This programme will offer project based funding, and also funding for core (organisational) costs. The strategy focusses on the principles of:

• Sharing power with children and young people

• Acting flexibly

• Using BBC Children in Need’s voice to build awareness and empathy around issues

• Building partnerships to bring communities and investors together

In Spring 2023, a funding stream will also be launched for smaller, emerging organisations. This stream is aimed at organisations who may need greater support to access funding.

For more information about available grants, please click here. If you would like to speak to one of the Northern Ireland team about a potential application, you can get in contact via email cin.ni@bbc.co.uk

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

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award/ Joint Award Initiative

Our new Access Without Limits Fund aims to ensure that the Award is available to all young people to help us reach the most diverse generation of young people ever. 

Launched on 4 July, the Access Without Limits voluntary and community sector (VCS) funding is being made available thanks to the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, which has donated £3 million to help widen our reach across the voluntary and community sector. 

Eligible voluntary and community organisations which do not currently offer the Award programme can access up to £10,250 of grant funding combined with support from a dedicated member of staff to help set up, launch and deliver the Award programme. (Eligibility criteria and details of how to apply are available on our website – details below).

We are the world’s leading youth achievement Award, giving 14-24 year olds the opportunity to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, make a difference in their communities and discover talents they never knew they had. Each young person builds their own Award programme – picking activities and choosing where to volunteer – in order to achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.

Gaisce – The President’s Award and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award work in partnership through the Joint Award Initiative (JAI) to offer Award participants in Northern Ireland a choice of recognition for their achievements.  On completion of their Award programme, they can choose a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a Gaisce – The President’s Award or a Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award certificate.

Access Without Limits grants will be awarded on a rolling basis over the next three years with the next deadline for submission on Monday 31st October.

If you would like more information, please contact Jim Peacock, or sign up for our webinar on 26 September.

Jim Peacock
02890699107
Jim.peacock@dofe.org
https://www.dofe.org/access-without-limits-funding/
https://www.theawardni.org/

Assets Recovery Community Scheme 2022-23-24

Community groups across Northern Ireland are being invited to apply for funding which comes from assets seized from criminals.

The ARCS programme budget for this Scheme is estimated to be in the region of £900k – approximately £300k in 2022/23 and approximately £600k in 2023/24. The maximum total funding available is £10k (in 2022/23) and £25k (in 2023/24) per application. Please be aware that it is unlikely that all applications will be successful. Applicants should not, therefore, make any commitment, financial or other, until the decision of the ARCS funding panel is determined and notified to applicants.

The funding is available for projects running between October 2022 and March 2024 or periods in between.

Who can apply for funding?

• Community and Voluntary Groups and Organisations with a Management Board or appropriate governance structure

• Registered Charities

• Statutory organisations seeking to deliver projects in community settings

The essential criteria for ARCS funding is: “to prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime”

ARCS funding should also benefit victims, or communities or the environment or any combination of these three priority categories.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday 1st September 2022.

For more information please visit https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/publications/assets-recovery-community-scheme-guidance-notes-and-application-form-2022-23-24

LCCC DIY Community Fund 2022/23

The DIY Community Fund is a grant scheme to support the refresh, refurbishment, or general improvement of existing community facilities. The grant will enable groups and organisations to improve income opportunities and make the facility more user friendly to engage the local community further.

The fund will make provision to fix, repair, maintain or improve community facilities to offer a wider range of activities and services to broaden community engagement and respond to community needs. Its focus will be on improving community facilities to develop resilient communities where people are engaged and empowered. 

The community and voluntary sector deliver crucial services locally providing facilities for a range of purposes.  This grant scheme is aimed at the following:

• stimulating recovery following covid in local communities

• enhancing the internal/external environment of local facilities

• encouraging increased participation and programme delivery

• improving competitiveness and increasing income generation opportunities

The DIY Community Fund has £30,000 available. Organisations will be able to apply for grants up to a maximum of £1,000. There is no minimum amount requirement.

The DIY Community Fund is open to community and voluntary organisations based in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area that meet the following criteria:

(a) formally constituted community group or voluntary organisation

(b) registered charity

(c) Community interest group*

(d) not-for-profit company limited by guarantee

 *PTAs with ownership through school. Must be for wider community use.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Monday 5th September.

For more information and to apply, please visit DIY Community Fund (lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk)

Fermanagh & Omagh District Council: Events & Festivals Sponsorship

The Council will support organisations / event organisers who deliver various types of events including but not limited to niche, specialist, local, regional, national and international events and festivals within the district that;

• Will enhance the Christmas offer in the District

• Support evening and night time economy

• Animate the area

• Provide regional / national media coverage to increase the profile of the place

• Takes place over more than one day / night

• Must be minimum medium - large scale events with attendance numbers 2500+

Closing date for applications is Sunday 4th September 2022 at 5pm.

For more information please visit Grant Manager (eformz.info)

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

Great Big Green Week – Community Fund

Grants are available for charities, community groups, voluntary organisations, and other not-for-profit organisations to deliver events and activities during the Great Big Green Week 2022.

This fund aims to support community groups to organise local events, activities, and festivals that engage local communities and celebrate the actions and progress being made on climate change.

Projects, activities, and events should take place during the Great Big Green Week (24 September to 2 October 2022).

Three grant sizes are available:

• Small grants between £200 and £500.

• Medium grants between £500 and £5,000.

• Large grants between £5,000 and £10,000.

The following can apply:

• Voluntary and community organisations.

• Constituted groups or clubs.

• Registered charities.

• Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).

• Not-for-profit companies.

• Community interest companies.

• Schools (if the project benefits and involves communities around the school and appropriate safeguarding policies are in place).

• Statutory bodies, such as local authorities, towns, parishes, and community councils.

• Community benefit societies.

Funding is for projects and activities that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Empower local groups to create new connections locally that support new people and organisations to take climate action locally (eg local businesses, sports clubs, cultural organisations, and faith groups.

• Led by or in partnership with groups who are underrepresented within the climate movement (Eg ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, or poorer communities).

• Are in locations with no existing green week or related activity, or where the event takes existing or previously funded activity to a new level.

• Engage local politicians and/or councillors in events happening in their constituency.

• Support engagement across generations and encourage intergenerational dialogue.

Funding can be used to cover:

• Equipment.

• One-off Events.

• Staff costs (if directly in support of the proposed Great Big Green Week activity).

• Transport.

• Utilities.

• Volunteer expenses.

• Publicity (eg flyers, social media advertising etc).

For more information and to apply please visit Funding - Great Big Green Week

Mutual Aid Fund

This fund aims to support groups who are in the process of transitioning and are facing distinct challenges in adapting to a post-COVID environment. Funding will support specific projects/activities aimed at strengthening a group to better respond to the reality post-COVID, such as evolving community needs or a group’s capacity.

Grants of between £1,500 and £5,000 are available.

Applications are accepted from mutual aid groups in the UK that meet two or more of the following criteria:

• Believe in ‘solidarity not charity’.

• Are autonomous/independent (ie not affiliated to a larger/national organisation).

• Are volunteer-led.

• Operate a flat structure/decision-making process.

• Do not require eligibility checks (ie no means testing on the community members that are served).

• Operate absolute financial transparency and accountability.

• Meet immediate local needs.

• Practice radical inclusivity.

• Are committed to fundamental change/ending socioeconomic inequalities.

Successful applicants need to be willing to share learnings with other mutual aid groups.

Funding is for projects and activities that meet all the following criteria: 

• Clearly helps a group adapt post-COVID.

• Demonstrates a key contribution to a group’s sustainability.

• Be completed within nine months.

Examples of eligible projects include: 

• Upskilling group members, such as in their technological capacity.

• Piloting a programme that would help secure more sustainable sources of funding.

• Creating the capacity to design and implement a strategy/programme that would contribute to the sustainability of the group, including paying an existing group member or hiring a consultant.

• Buying equipment necessary for the sustainability of the group, such as fridges for a food bank.

Groups will have nine months from the beginning of September 2022 to implement activities. 

Key dates:

• Confirmation of successful applicants - beginning of August.

• Disbursing of grants - beginning of September.

• Groups will then get nine months to implement their activities.

• Final learning convening is planned for 16 June 2023.

The funders hope for this to be the first of multiple rounds of funding, so applicants who are not successful this time, might be considered for future opportunities.

Guidance notes and an online application form are available on the Social Change Agency website - Mutual Aid Funding - Apply for grants (thesocialchangeagency.org)

Revenue Grant for a Community Building

This fund aims to promote and invest in a resilient and effective independent community sector across Belfast by supporting the running costs of community buildings, in recognition that the community development activity inside allows communities to be engaged to:

• Influence or take decisions about issues that matter to them and affect their lives.

• Define needs, issues, and solutions for their community.

• Take action to help themselves and make a difference.

Grants of up to £20,000 per year are available over three years (2023-2026). Awards will be paid by BACS transfer in six equal instalments over three years.

Formally constituted, not-for-profit, autonomous community development organisations can apply.

Applicants must: 

• Operate a broad-based programme of activity to meet community needs and support community development.

• Operate from a community building that is welcoming, inclusive, and compliant with all relevant legislative requirements for the running of a community building.

• Have the right to use the building to deliver their programme.

Organisations that have been operating for several must provide the following:

• A copy of their most recent, current, signed annual accounts that are no more than 18 months old.

• Management accounts dated within the last three months and sighed by the chairperson or treasurer.

• Copy of their most recent three months’ bank statement.

Recently established organisations must provide the following:

• Management accounts dated within the last three months and sighed by the chairperson or treasurer.

• Copy of their most recent six months bank statement.

Funding can be used to cover running costs for community buildings to enable groups to respond to community needs by delivering a broad-based programme and supporting community development. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Cleaning.

• Health and safety, including security.

• Insurance.

• Maintenance costs.

• Office supplies.

• Telephone, postage and IT costs.

• Utilities – gas, electricity, oil, and water.

• Rent.

• Audit.

• Staff who can carry out functions linked to the running of the building, such as caretakers, and cleaners.

A ‘broad-based’ programme must provide at least three activities for each of the following age groups:

• Children and young people.

• Adults.

• Older people.

Funding is for projects occurring between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2026.

The deadline for applications is 9 September 2022 (noon).

For more information and to apply please visit Grants and funds | Belfast City Council funding

Vacant to Vibrant Capital Grant Scheme

Grants are available for property owners, businesses, social enterprises, and voluntary and cultural groups to support the renovation and repurposing of vacant spaces across the Belfast city centre.

This fund aims to incentivise both property owners and potential occupiers to bring vacant Belfast city centre spaces back into use, supporting revitalisation, the creation of a vibrant and higher quality streetscape, and the creation of new employment opportunities.

Grants of between £2,000 and £25,000 are available and applicants are expected to contribute a minimum of 10% match funding.

Property owners, businesses, social enterprises, and cultural and voluntary organisations wishing to renovate or repurpose a vacant space can apply. 

Constituted, not-for-profit organisations must supply a copy of a constitution. 

Businesses must provide evidence of tenure and three months of bank statements relating to the business. 

Applicants must provide quotes for all capital works and purchases in line with the Council’s procurement thresholds. 

All applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• The property must be a vacant premise or vacant space within a premise that is located within the Belfast city centre boundary.

• Businesses/organisations must be an existing registered business/organisation or social enterprise that has been actively operating for at least three months as of the date of the application submission.

• The property must not have been in occupation for 12 months at the time of application (properties that have been occupied by temporary meanwhile use/pop-ups are acceptable).

Properties at ground floor vacancies will be given priority. Support for upper floor improvements may be considered if the occupier’s ground floor activities extend into upper floor uses, where they deliver a meaningful and measurable impact on the street character and vibrancy. 

Projects proposing to target upper floor units only will not be considered unless they can demonstrate that the proposal will have a positive impact on the street character and vibrancy of a street or area.

This fund will be open for two years from 7 July 2022. Funding will be awarded on a first come first served basis until all the money has been allocated. 

The application process may close earlier than anticipated depending on the number of applications received.

Contact Belfast City Council to request guidance notes and an application pack.