Commissioning Programme

The purpose of the Commissioning Programme is to enable organisations to commission new work.

The finished work should be in a form capable of being presented, exhibited, published, performed and/or disseminated in its entirety at the point of completion in Northern Ireland (if applicable abroad) either live or online.

This programme prioritises applications that:

• Propose commissions of high artistic quality;

• Are planned to reach significant audiences primarily in Northern Ireland through live performance, exhibition, publication, broadcast, recording, and/or other audience channels;

• Provide for an extended life and/or extended public reach and impact for the work or project that has been created;

• Demonstrate a strong collaborative-engagement process between the commissioner, performers and the commissioned artist(s) in the development of the new work; and

• Demonstrate innovation and deepen the experience and understanding of the artform.

All awards and programmes are informed by the Arts Council’s 5-year strategic framework (2019–24), Inspire, Connect & Lead (see here).

Commissions may be applied for across all artform areas supported by the Arts Council. Proposals may also be cross-artform.

Who can apply?

The Arts Council welcomes applications from the widest possible range of organisations. You will be required to provide proof that you have a legal constitution.

Who Cannot Apply

• Individual artists or sole traders applying to commission themselves
• Commercial trading companies
• Companies that exist to distribute a profit
• Broadcasters (excluding community service broadcasters)
• Central Government Departments
• Organisations applying to commission an artist who is a serving Board member or Trustee of that organisation.

You must apply using our online system by 12 noon on 31st October 2022. For more information and to apply, please visit Commissioning Programme | Arts Council of Northern Ireland (artscouncil-ni.org)

The ESB Community Benefit Fund is open for 2023

The ESB Community Benefit Fund aims to support community projects which clearly address current and emerging local issues, needs and opportunities, while also seeking to develop and build upon existing initiatives. From equipment to refreshments for activities; from painting lessons to science books, you can apply for items that will help you address at least one of the following themes:

• Education and skills

• Health, safety, and wellbeing

• Environment and habitat conservation

• Energy efficiency and sustainability

• Culture and heritage

• Recreation, sport, and social inclusion

Who can apply?

• If you are a current recipient, you should submit your last claim by Tuesday 1 November. Unfortunately, we will not be able to take your application forward if this is not the case.

• If you have been unsuccessful before to the ESB Community Benefit Fund, an application from your organisation/group is welcome.

• If you are a group/organisation applying for the first time to the ESB Community Benefit Fund, your application is welcome, please note the criteria below and for further information, visit our website.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, you must meet all the following criteria:

• Your project must address at least one of the above themes

• Your project must be located within the Area of Benefit.

OR the primary beneficiaries of your project must be drawn from one of the above areas of benefit.

• You must be a registered charity; voluntary/community sector organization; sports or recreation club; or school with a constitution or article of association.

Workshop

Join us for an online workshop which will cover the application form and criteria for this fund. Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsf-qqqj0oGdVyN0uQl0aNmFuh7rWX-zIc

If you have any queries about your application, please send us an email at esbcommunityfund@groundworkni.co.uk

Co Op Foundation Future Communities Grants

The Co Op Foundation has developed the Community Future  Grants Programme in recognition of the commitment in communities, and the opportunities to unlock the potential of community assets and build a vision for the future.

The total budget for the fund is £75,000 and the Co Op Foundation is offering grants of between £3,000 to £10,000 to enable communities to develop assets that are important to them, and ideas for communities that will help enable a better future.

To be eligible, your organisation must:

• Deliver activities aligned to the aims of the programme

• Deliver activities in Northern Ireland

• Have a clear vision for the future of your community/community of interest

Through this fund we want to support organisations who have a focus on developing communities for the future.

We are particularly interested in, but not limited to, drawing on the voices of young people and developing young people to be the leaders, co-operators, organisers and activists in and for these future communities.

We want to support organisations that are working to bring their vision for future communities to life.

We want to see cooperation, leadership, and people working towards the kind of communities they want to live in, building on the assets within their communities to support that vision.

We will be looking for a compelling vision for geographical communities, and/or communities of interest. We want to see what can be done to help ensure a fair community, built upon co-operative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity.

We encourage you to think about partnering with other members of the community e.g. to share costs and solutions if you have similar needs. However, we  recognise this may not always be appropriate depending on your planned use of the grant.

We want to support what groups and communities need, rather than what we think they might need. You can apply for a grant from £3,000 up to £10,000 to support your organisation. Uses of the grant may include, but are not limited to:

• Contribution to core costs, including staffing costs

• Equipment

• Investment that helps you scale

• Project costs

The Fund will close for applications at 1pm on Tuesday 11 October 2022.

For more information and to apply, please visit Co Op Foundation Future Communities Grants - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

The People’s Projects is back!

The National Lottery Community Fund, ITV, UTV and the Sunday Mail are today launching The People’s Projects – a National Lottery funding programme that not only delivers vital funding support to the heart of UK communities, but also raises awareness of the incredible work of community groups across the land.

The popular funding programme returns after a 3-year break and is making a share of over £4 million of National Lottery funding available with applications accepted from today. Groups and projects can apply for grants of up to £70,000 to help their communities and make a real difference to people’s lives.

The People’s Projects also offers an exciting opportunity for the general public to have a say in how National Lottery funding should be put to good use in their local area.

In May 2023, 95 shortlisted groups will take part in a national campaign, with the winners being decided by public vote. Shortlisted groups will be featured on regional TV news in their area (ITV or UTV) or in the Sunday Mail (in Scotland) where they will be able to tell the wider public about their great work and appeal for their vote.

Since it started in 2005, The People’s Projects has awarded around £45 million to over 1,000 good causes.

For more information and to apply visit www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk. Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 7th October 2022, although interested groups are urged to apply early as the programme may close sooner depending on the volume of applications.

Building Confident Rural Communities

Too often, rural communities are without access to transport, jobs, housing, shops and community spaces. The Prince’s Countryside Fund powers community-led solutions through our grants and resources to ensure that they flourish, now and in the future.

Supporting Rural Communities is our flagship grant programme, awarding £500,000 each year to support projects that enhance the viability and sustainability of rural communities.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund remains one of very few funders focused on rural communities across the UK, and our experience shows that, by working with local organisations, we can help to address the challenges faced by those who live and work in rural areas. 

The PCF is inviting applications for grants of up to £25,000 over two years, for projects that will create a long-term difference in rural communities across the UK. Applicants must be from properly constituted, not for profit organisations with an income of less than £500,000. We particularly welcome applications from groups and organisations with projects in hamlets, villages and small market towns. 

We receive many more applications than we can fund. Unfortunately, this means that even if your work matches our areas of interest, we may not be able to make a grant. 

Autumn 2022 grants timetable

1st September Applications open
Midday, 11th October Applications close
Beginning of December Applicants informed of decision
January 2023 First payment

For more information and to apply, please visit Rural Communities - The Prince's Countryside Fund (princescountrysidefund.org.uk)

Applications for the Cost of Living Boost are now open

The rising cost of living is putting extra strain on individuals, communities and the causes that support them. The need is greater than ever, and funding isn’t stretching as far. Many organisations are working tirelessly to meet this challenge, but they need help to keep their doors open.

With our additional £2 million Cost of Living Boost, the Aviva Community Fund will bring people together to support those who need it most. We’ll match every individual donation up to £250*.

1. Projects need to be entered into the Financial Wellbeing category to qualify for fund matching: i.e. “Helping people take control of their wellbeing by giving them the tools to be more financially independent and ready for anything.”

2. Organisations with core missions aligned to the Financial Wellbeing funding area can also apply to cover their usual operational costs.

For more information and to apply, please visit Aviva Cost of Living Boost | Aviva Community Fund

Sense Cost of Living Support Fund

Sense has launched a fund to provide financial support to people with complex disabilities who live in the family home and are facing financial hardship. Here’s how it works and how to apply.

In response to the cost of living crisis in the UK, we’re distributing grants of £500 to people with complex disabilities who are on low incomes and who are living in the family home.

Your application must be completed on your behalf by a social care professional nominated by Sense. You must be accessing a Sense service or one of the services provided by our nominated partner charities. If you want to apply, get in touch with the professional who works with you or your family to discuss your application.

If you’re unsure of who to speak with, contact our Information and Advice service.

Here’s an easy read version of this page.

To apply, you or the person in your family must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

• You or a person in your family must have a complex disability.

• You live in your family home.

• You live in England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

• You have a household income of less than £30,000 (excluding PIP and other benefits that are not means-tested).

• You have household savings of less than £1,500.

• You’re currently accessing either one means-tested benefit and/or carers allowance.

• You are not on a Debt Relief Order (DRO) or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).

• You must be accessing a Sense service – or one of the services provided by the list of our nominated partner charities.

For more information and to apply, please visit Sense Cost of Living Support Fund - Sense

Up to £1000 available for local community projects!

Two years ago, a very successful project called Tak£500 awarded 66 different community organisations funding to the tune of £33,000, allowing them to deliver some wonderful projects to benefit their local residents.

This project is now back for 2022 – and bigger and better than ever! Called Tak£500+ Participatory Budget Fund, community groups within the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area can now receive up to £1000 for a project that they think will have a positive impact on their community!

So, if you have an idea in mind of something that would bring value to your area and your community, look no further!

So how does it work? A Participatory Budgeting initiative basically means that local people get a direct say in how public funds are used to address local needs.

Both constituted groups and non-constituted groups can apply for funding to help bring an idea to life. All ideas must be based around the ‘Take 5 Ways of Wellbeing’, which are five simple steps to help maintain and improve your wellbeing on a daily basis.

They are: ‘Connect’ with people around you; ‘Be Active’ in some way each day; ‘Take Notice’ of the world around you and how you are feeling; ‘Keep Learning’ by trying something new and ‘Give’ by doing something nice for someone else.

To help you with stage one of the process and filling in the initial application form, there are a number of information sessions taking place both in person and online:

Monday 12th September, 7pm – 8pm: Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre. Register here.

Wednesday 14th September, 7pm – 8pm: Chamber at the Palace Demesne, Armagh. Register here.

Thursday 15th September, 7pm – 8pm: Banbridge Leisure Centre. Register here.

Tuesday 20th September, 10am – 11am: Online via Zoom. Register here.

Stage one is where you fill out the application form and send it in. If you meet the simple criteria, you will then move onto Stage Two, where you will be asked to attend the Market Stall and Decision-Making Event.

Groups will be asked to showcase their idea to the community by putting together a ‘market stall’ detailing their idea and asking for support. Everyone aged eight and over can then vote to support the project ideas they want to see happen.

The projects with the most public votes will be awarded up to £1000 to make their idea happen!

For more information please visit TAK£500+ - YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR SAY, YOUR WAY! - Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council (armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk)

National Garden Scheme - Community Gardens Award

In 2011 the National Garden Scheme set up an award scheme in memory of Elspeth Thompson, the much-loved garden writer and journalist who died in 2010. Elspeth was a great friend and supporter of the National Garden Scheme; she also wrote an admired ‘Urban Gardener’ column in the Sunday Telegraph. Her column often celebrated community gardens and so the awards support gardening projects carried out within local communities.

Previously managed in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, from 2019 the scheme became wholly managed by the National Garden Scheme.

In 2022 we gave out awards to 75 projects bringing the total number of projects supported to-date to almost 200, with the total amount donated just shy of £400,000.

Grants will only be made to bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The following bodies are not eligible:

· Local authorities (including parish councils)

· Schools Applications from any such bodies will not be considered.

Applicants must be a fully set up community group or CIC with a functioning non-personal bank account.

Individual grants are between minimum £500 and maximum £5000. Each application must itemise the details of the costs they are planning to cover.

Applications for 2023 will open on Monday 17 October. Please read the Application Guidelines before applying - Community Garden Grants - National Garden Scheme (ngs.org.uk)

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