Make a BIG difference with a Small Grant!

The Small Grant Scheme will reopen for applications on 27th August 2024, offering another exciting opportunity to apply for funding for projects aimed at revitalising shared greenspaces benefitting the community and the environment. Since 2014, the funding stream has supported local community volunteers focused on environmental action. 

This grant scheme seeks to:

• Increase civic pride and improve the quality of the local environment through the creation of quality shared spaces.

• Transform underused spaces into vibrant and valued community places by adding habitats and increasing access to visitors.

• Deliver actions and projects in line with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful's Strategic Plan 

• Improve the health and wellbeing of communities whilst helping to improve and/or maintain public spaces.

• Improve the quality of the local environment by reducing littering and dog fouling through community action. 

• Support environmentally focused actions that help support people impacted by reduced contact with society.

To apply, please visit Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Submission Manager (submittable.com)

Scops Art Trust Accepting Applications for Third 2024 Funding Round

Scops Art Trust is offering grants of up to £30,000 to registered charities, and other constituted, not-for-profit organisations across the UK, to deliver projects that help people to understand, participate in, and enjoy the arts, particularly the performing arts (music, drama, opera, and dance).

In 2024, the Trustees have decided to move towards a more focused grants-making process, focusing on a particular performing arts area in each grant round.

For the third and final trustee meeting of 2024, the Trust is interested in applications to support instrumental and choral music groups, alongside children’s music education.

Priority will be given to small-to-medium-sized organisations. Most grants will be awarded for specific projects, but the Trust will also contribute towards the core costs of smaller organisations where a grant could make an impact.  Both one-off and multi-year grants will be considered.

There is a two-stage application process. Groups must first complete an eligibility check before being invited to submit a Stage 1 application.

The next deadline for Stage 1 applications is 10 September 2024. 

For more information, please visit Scops Arts Trust - Grant Funding for the Arts

Motability Foundation has announced closing date of 8th October for all stage 1 applications

There are a number of grants available through Motability Foundation’s grant programme which supports disabled people through other charities and organisations who provide transport, help to access it, or research how to make transport accessible. 

Active Travel  Active Travel Grant Programme | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Community Transport  Community Transport Grant | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Reducing Barriers to Driving Reducing Barriers to Driving Grant | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Research grants Research Grant Programme | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Travel with Confidence Travelling with Confidence Grant | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Wheelchair Sector Grant Wheelchair Grant | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

Closing date is 8th October 2024

Healthy Heart Grant

Healthy Heart Grants offer up to £15,000 for community projects aimed at supporting adults to reduce their risk of coronary heart disease, helping them to live healthier, happier and longer lives. Projects must focus mainly on one or more of the following: healthy eating, physical activity, smoking and/or alcohol consumption.

Grants are available to charities and community interest companies across the UK.

Are you a small, registered charity or community interest company with an annual income of less than £1 million? Do you have an idea for a project that will improve heart health?

Apply here - Healthy Heart Grant Application Form 2024 - Northern Ireland - Formstack

Sport NI: Creating Opportunities

Project Creating Opportunities is the next phase of funding to connect communities, enabling more people to take part in sport and physical activity throughout Northern Ireland.

In particular, a focus of the project is to ‘level the playing field’, so that accessibility and inclusion is felt and experienced by those who have been traditionally excluded from not only participating in sport, but playing an active role within the club (e.g. coaching, officiating and leading as part of a board).

You will need a crowdfunding project to apply for funding. Start creating your campaign project at Start crowdfunding | Crowdfunder UK and, if eligible, you’ll be prompted to apply for our funding. Have a look at the videos below which will explain the process in more detail. This investment aims to support projects and initiatives that are creative and innovative and will engage or re-engage people back into sport.

Important Documents

Funding Conditions

Guidance Information

Creating your Crowdfunder Campaign Page

Creating Opportunities FAQs

Terms & Conditions

Who is Creating Opportunities for?

Applications should focus particularly on people from at least one of the following priority groups:

• Women & girls;

• People with disabilities;

• Children & young people – especially those aged between 11-18 years;

• Older people aged over 50;

• Ethnically diverse communities;

• LGBTQ+ community;

• People living in areas of greatest need (based on NISRA postcode, quartile1);

• People living in rural areas (based on NISRA postcode)

Our match funding, of up to £5,000, aims to help the sports sector ‘level the playing field’.

To be eligible to apply you must be one of the following organisations:

• A constituted sports club which is affiliated to a governing body of sport which is recognised by Sport NI OR Sport Ireland.

o   Recognised Sport NI Governing Bodies

o   Recognised Sport Ireland Governing Bodies

• A community/voluntary sector organisation that delivers or enables sport and/or physical activity as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.

• A charitable trust that delivers or enables sport and/or physical activity as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.

• A constituted Parent Teacher Association (PTA) that delivers or enables new/additional extracurricular sport and/or physical activity including outdoor activity residentials. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI

For more information, please visit Creating Opportunities | Sport NI

Hunter's Hill Wind Farm Community Fund

The fund is currently open to receive applications. In order to apply to the fund applicants must return a completed application form and supporting documentation by email to Omagh Forum by the deadline of 12 noon on 23rd August 2024

Applications from organisations and groups within 7.5km of Hunter’s Hill Wind Farm are eligible.

Proposed projects must demonstrate a clear focus on one or several of the following fund themes:

• Education and skills

• Health, safety and wellbeing

• Environment and habitat conservation

• Energy efficiency and sustainability

• Culture and heritage

• Recreation, sport and social inclusion

For more information, please visit Hunters Hill Community Fund 2024-25 Now Open | Omagh Forum

Funding for Innovative Projects that Engage the Public on Topic of Dementia

Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Inspire Fund has opened for applications. This call is offering seed funding grants of up to £5,000 per project to new applicants from across the UK.

The funding is for projects that meet both of the following core criteria:

• Projects must engage with underserved audiences on the topic of dementia, such as minority ethnic communities, marginalised or socio-economically disadvantaged people.

• Build knowledge and understanding about brain health (in the context of dementia risk reduction) and explore ways to encourage behaviour change.

Projects can use a range of methods to engage with their audience and applicants are encouraged to consider their audience when selecting methods of engagement, to ensure people are able to take part.

Applications will be accepted from people with a range of backgrounds and expertise, such as dementia researchers, community groups, artists, creative organisations, and people responsible for cultural spaces such as museums and libraries. There is particular interest in proposals led by community groups and organisations. Applicants are encouraged to forge links with collaborators or groups to grow the scale of ideas and the impact of projects.

The grants will not support projects providing dementia care or other frontline services (including arts therapy).

An online information webinar will be held on 17 September 2024 (12-1pm) for potential applicants to find out more about the scheme and ask questions. Applicants can sign up to attend on the ARUK website.

The deadline for applications for seed funding grants is 14 October 2024. For more information, please visit Inspire Fund – public engagement grant - Grant scheme - Alzheimer's Research UK (alzheimersresearchuk.org)

Funding for Children Experiencing Disadvantage to Take a Holiday Before the New Year

The Henry Smith Charity’s Holiday Grants programme supports recreational trips or holidays for groups of children aged 13 or younger who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. There is particular interest in contributing to trips that would not take place without the Charity’s funding.

Applications are currently being accepted for holidays taken between 1 September and 31 December 2024.

Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities in the UK can apply for a one-off grant of between £500 and £2,750 to support a day trip or a longer residential of up to a week for groups of children aged 13 years or younger. The trip could be to a countryside or city location but must be outside of the children’s immediate locality. Day trips should not involve a disproportionate amount of time spent travelling. Consideration will be given to trips which are more local but these should have an emphasis on providing a new experience for the children and broadening their horizons.

Priority will be given to projects level that will benefit disadvantaged and disabled children in the most deprived areas in the UK.

Grants are made on a first come, first served basis until the available funding for that round has been fully allocated. All applications should be received at least six weeks before the date of the trip to allow for administrative processing and decision making.

The deadline for applications is 19 November 2024. For more information, please visit Holiday Grants for Children - The Henry Smith Charity

Edge Fund’s Annual Funding Programme Opens for UK Applications

The Edge Fund is offering 40 grants of £1,000 each to communities and campaign groups based in the UK and Republic of Ireland that are working for social, economic and environmental justice.

The Fund supports efforts to create long-term change in society by addressing the causes of injustice and inequality by achieving social, economic and environmental justice and to end imbalances in wealth and power. It also gives people a say in where the money goes and is an alternative fund for those who struggle to get funding elsewhere.

The grants will support:

• Work that creates long-term change in society by addressing the causes of injustice and inequality.

• Work addressing issues facing a particular community that is led by that community i.e. lived experience is key.

• Groups based in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.

• Small groups that struggle to get funding elsewhere, particularly if other funders might consider them to be too radical.

• All types of non-profit organisations, including groups that are not formally registered.

Groups who have a religious purpose are welcome to apply (but financial support for any activity, initiative or project where the primary aim is to promote religion cannot be funded).

Two online Q&A sessions will be held on 30 August and 6 September 2024.  Interested applicants should register online.

Social enterprises, registered charities and CICs are not usually funded but applicants should contact the Edge Fund for further information. The funding is not available for traditional charity work that only aims to, for example, improve health and well-being, relieve financial hardship and unemployment, improve social inclusion and harmony, conserve the environment, advance education and training.

The deadline for applications is 13 September 2024. For more information, please visit Edge Fund

Henry Moore Foundation Accepting Applications for Sculpture Projects Across the UK

Henry Moore Foundation is offering various grants of up to £20,000 for not-for-profit organisations concerned with art and art history for projects that promote the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern, and contemporary registers, and research that expands the appreciation of sculpture.

 The Foundation offers funding in the following categories:

• New projects and commissions: Grants of up to £20,000 to encourage new thinking about sculpture or sculpture history or contribute to public awareness and appreciation of sculpture.

• Acquisitions and collections: Grants of up to £20,000 for museums and galleries to acquire or conserve sculpture for their collections, cataloguing, and display costs.

• Research and development:

• Long-term grants of up to £20,000 for projects that require funding for more than one year, such as a permanent collection catalogue.

• Small research grants of up to £2,500 for academics, curators, and independent scholars for research costs on the history and interpretation of sculpture.

• Conferences, lectures, and publications: Grants of up to £5000 to publish a new book or journal, or to stage a conference or other event related to sculpture.

There are typically four deadlines per year.

The next deadline for applications is 1 September 2024. For more information, please visit Grants & fellowships | Henry Moore Foundation (henry-moore.org)

Branching Out Fund Accepting Applications for 2024/25 Winter Planting Season

The Tree Council is offering grants of between £250 and £2,500 for schools, constituted community groups and charities, community interest companies, Tree Warden networks, and other organisations across the UK to deliver tree-planting projects during the 2024/25 Winter planting season (between the end of November 2024 and early February 2025).

Through the Branching Out Fund, groups can purchase:

• Bare root, UK-sourced and grown, native trees of an appropriate size (priority will be given to younger trees that will establish better).

• UK-sourced and grown, bare-root whips (saplings) and cell-grown (root trainer) stock for hedging projects (between 40-120cm height).

• Hedgerow trees.

• Orchards, such as fruit trees on semi-vigorous, vigorous, and very vigorous rootstocks.

• Cardboard/bioplastic tree/hedge guards.

• Non-plastic ties.

• Stakes (coppiced material such as chestnut or hazel is preferred, although machined softwood will also be considered).

• Mulch.

• Non-peat-based soil improvers if needed.

The following may also be considered:

• Non-native tree varieties if appropriate to the setting.

• Non-native varieties and species that are chosen with climate change adaptation and resilience in mind.

• Fruit trees on dwarfing rootstock if the setting is appropriate.

• Trees in containers/raised beds if the reason is adequately explained and supported by a robust and comprehensive irrigation and aftercare plan.

• More robust and costly guards if the setting justifies it.

• Other project resources to support tree establishment such as irrigation equipment like watering cans/irrigation aids, and PPE.

Priority will be given to applicants that have strong community engagement embedded from the beginning of the planting project.

The deadline for applications is 1 December 2024. For more information, please visit Branching Out Fund - The Tree Council

New Funding Available for Tourist Attractions Along Iconic Irish Routes

A new funding programme from the Shared Island Tourism Brand Collaboration Project, featuring Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland, has launched. 

The Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme is seeking to enhance the travel experience and storytelling capabilities along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland and the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland, encouraging visitors to explore both iconic tourist routes. This will be achieved by improving immersive experiences at existing visitor attractions.

The total budget for the scheme is €3 million (approximately £2.5 million). Out of this total fund, €1.5 million is available to support eligible projects in Ireland, and £1.25 million is available to support projects in Northern Ireland. The following levels of funding are available:

• The minimum investment grant value available is £40,000 in Northern Ireland or €50,000 in Ireland for any one project under this scheme.

• The maximum investment grant value is £250,000 in Northern Ireland or €300,000 in Ireland.

The maximum investment grant rate for all applicant projects will not exceed 80% of eligible capital expenditure.

The scheme is inviting applications from within the local authority areas of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council along the Causeway Coastal Route as well as counties Donegal, Sligo and parts of Leitrim on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Applications are invited from public, private and community/voluntary sector applicants. All applicants are required to evidence that:

• The existing visitor attraction/experience has been operational since 1 March 2023.

• The visitor attraction/experience is open to the public full time (five days per week, including weekends) for a minimum of five months of the year.

• The visitor attraction currently employs a minimum of two full-time employees, ie Full-Time Equivalents.

Eligible project costs include interpretation planning and delivery, construction costs, and external consultant fees, excluding salaried staff.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 30 August 2024. For more information, please visit Shared Island Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme 2024 (tourismni.com)

Arts Council NI Invites Groups to Apply for Musical Instrument Funding

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is inviting applications for two of its annual funding programmes, designed to support both community bands and professional as well as non-professional performing groups with acquiring musical instruments. These programmes form part of the Arts Council's effort to foster and sustain the performing arts sector.

Currently, applications are open for the following initiatives:

• Musical Instruments for Bands - this programme provides financial assistance for traditional and community bands to replace old instruments and purchase new ones, offering grants of up to £10,000.

• Musical Instruments for Professional and Non-Professional Performing Groups - aimed at helping both professional and non-professional groups acquire new instruments and related equipment, this programme provides grants of up to £30,000.

All instruments funded through these programmes must be purchased and delivered by 14 March 2025. Detailed guidance notes and supporting information can be found on the Arts Council of Northern Ireland website.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2024. For more information, please visit Funding for Organisations | Arts Council NI (artscouncil-ni.org)

WCIT Charity Accepting Applications for IT4Good Grants

The WCIT Charity is offering grants of up to £15,000 for educational establishments and not-for-profit organisations across the UK to support IT projects and activities.

The IT4Good Grants Programme will support activities within the themes of education, inclusion, IT for charities, and understanding of IT, such as the development and delivery of new services, solutions, training, apps, analytics, AI, robotics, or accessibility features/hardware.  

Projects that are more likely to be funded include:

• Projects where WCIT is a material or sole funder.

• Projects where WCIT is the sole funder of the IT component of a larger project.

• Organisations that could benefit from pro-bono support.

Proposals should demonstrate an innovative use of IT, be scalable for wider replication, and be sustainable over time. Grants of over £15,000 may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

The next deadline for applications is 31 October 2024. For more information, please visit Home - WCIT Charity

Northern Ireland Launches Research Initiative to Address Blue-Green Algae in Lough Neagh

Funding is available to organisations in Northern Ireland to explore potential solutions to treat and reduce blue-green algae blooms without impacting the natural environment of Lough Neagh and associated Northern Ireland waterways.

The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department for the Economy have launched a new Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition in response to increasing concerns over the impact of blue-green algae on water quality and aesthetics. The algae, particularly prevalent in Lough Neagh in 2023, are fuelled by excessive nutrients from agriculture and wastewater, rising temperatures, and invasive species. The competition seeks innovative methods to treat and suppress these blooms, with the goal of developing practical and environmentally friendly solutions.

Phase 1 of the competition focuses on demonstrating the technical feasibility of proposed solutions. Five successful applicants will receive grants of up to £90,000 each to develop proof-of-concept studies. This phase is set to run until March 2025, with a potential Phase 2 to follow in the 2025-2026 financial year.

Organisations with a viable route to market can apply. Projects must offer practical, energy-efficient solutions for algae treatment that can be scaled and applied to other Northern Ireland waterways. Solutions must also ensure they do not contribute to further environmental degradation or increase water toxicity. Additionally, proposals should address the safe disposal or utilisation of extracted algae biomass.

The deadline for Phase 1 applications is 13 September 2024. For more information, please visit Lough Neagh : Blue Green Algae | SBRI NI (simplydo.co.uk)

NI Arts Groups Invited to Apply for Small Capital Grant Funding

Funding is available for voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland to buy equipment and make minor improvements to their premises, helping them stay active in the arts sector.

The Small Capital Grants Programme provided by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland is intended to support organisations in maintaining their creative spaces and addressing any issues that hinder their work. This includes ensuring necessary equipment is in place to welcome staff, artists and audiences, and supporting the delivery of the arts to maintain and improve artistic quality, accessibility, environment and audience experience.

Grants of up to £20,000 are available. The following criteria apply:

• Applicants do not have to be primarily an arts organisation (for example, community groups may apply to the scheme); however, the purpose of the requested equipment and/or minor works must be clearly focused on the arts.

• Local authorities are eligible to apply but they are a low priority.

• Registered charities and other fully constituted organisations which cannot distribute a profit are eligible to apply.

• Commercial organisations can only apply for support if the equipment and/or minor works is primarily for the benefit of the public rather than their own commercial interests.

• If the organisation has a limited membership, it must show that the equipment and/or minor works will benefit the wider public.

• Groups of organisations (consortia) working together to deliver specific projects may apply.

Grants are used to support the costs of equipment and/or minor works to help adapt the organisation's venue or working practice. Eligible costs and activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• New equipment/structures to enhance accessibility/delivery.

• Accessibility equipment and minor works.

• Creation of safe spaces.

• IT equipment to assist/improve arts delivery. 

• Software (pre-loaded operating systems and packages only). 

• Works in relation to upgrading and maintaining existing systems.

• Transport.

• Tablet computers (maximum ACNI contribution of £500).

• Laptops/PCs (maximum ACNI contribution of £1,200).

All purchases and minor works must be completed by 14 March 2025.

The deadline for applications is 7 October 2024 (12 noon).

For more information and to apply, please visit Small Capital Grants Programme | Arts Council NI (artscouncil-ni.org)

SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community Fund Consultation

Passionate about sustainability in your community? Have you had your say on the new €5m/£4.3m all-island SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community Fund?

Our consultation phase has been extended to 23 August. You can share your input by filling out our online survey at https://lnkd.in/e3nkASrj

You don't need to be based close to a SSE energy-generating asset to apply. The investment is part of SSE Airtricity’s commitment to create a more sustainable future for everyone, aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our mission to support communities, homeowners and businesses on the journey to a net zero future.

Press Release

SSE Airtricity invites local urban and rural communities, as well as individuals, to actively engage in the consultation process for the newly established Generation Green Community Fund. This €5m/£4.3m million fund aims to support sustainability projects across the island of Ireland, offering a unique opportunity for participation in a transformative initiative.

The Generation Green Community Fund is part of SSE Airtricity’s commitment to customers, and the communities it serves, by supporting them on the path to net zero through education, awareness raising, as well as grant funding and energy efficiency supports. The consultation phase is now open, providing an opportunity for communities and individuals to share their ideas on how the fund should be designed and delivered.  

Welcoming submissions, Klair Neenan, Managing Director of SSE Airtricity, said: “Achieving net zero is in everyone’s interest and local communities will be at the heart of the energy transition. We know there are passionate people and groups working hard across the island of Ireland and we want to help them make a positive difference by powering up their sustainability plans. However funding can often be a barrier, which is why we’re delighted to launch our unique Generation Green Community Fund. 

We are eager to hear your ideas and vision about how this fund can best serve your community and advance our shared goals. The form takes just five minutes to complete and will have a real impact on how this Fund is administered. By actively participating in this consultation, you can shape and influence the programme’s design and delivery.”

The consultation process will help establish priorities for the Generation Green Community Fund, ensuring it focuses on what is most important to communities, for example green energy upgrades for community buildings, community biodiversity projects or green skills workshops and education.  

Following the initial consultation period, which ends on 23 August, the Fund will open to applications later this year. To submit your views to the consultation or to learn more, please visit: www.sseairtricity.com/communityfund. 

Grants for physical activity providers

Our grant scheme helps fund activity providers to give people with Parkinson's more opportunities to get and stay active. 

In 2024, we're providing grants of up to £3,000 to support physical activity projects for people with Parkinson's all over the UK.

Before applying, make sure you carefully read the essential guide for applicants and contact your local Parkinson's UK staff member. We also highly recommend using the complete checklist for applicants to help you complete your application.

Finally, we encourage completing the Parkinson's UK: physical activity and exercise awareness course ahead of submitting your application.

For more information, visit Grants for physical activity providers | Parkinson's UK (parkinsons.org.uk)

Funding for UK Schools with STEM Partners to Run STEM Projects in Spring 2025

The Royal Society’s annual Partnership Grant scheme is currently accepting applications from primary and secondary schools, including sixth form colleges, for the third and final round of 2024.

Grants of up to £3,000 are available for partnership projects between a school partner from the UK and a STEM partner from academia or industry for a specific investigative project that increases the appeal of science and engineering to children aged 5 to 18 years across the UK. (STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.)

The funding, which is predominantly to be used to buy equipment, is for projects that meet the following criteria:

• Students involved in the project must be between 5 and 18. Reception years are eligible if the project is run in conjunction with other age groups. Sixth form and further education colleges are also eligible.

• The title of the project must be a scientific question that the students are attempting to answer by completing their research.

• The project must be specific to the school and cannot be part of a third-party scheme or competition.

• There must be at least one term between the date the application is submitted and the project starting to allow time for judging and administration to transfer funds.

• The project must run for a minimum of one term.

The deadline for applications is 29 November 2024 for projects starting from April 2025.

For more information, visit Partnership Grants | Royal Society

Small Grants to Support Unpopular Causes, Particularly in Areas of Deprivation

Registered charities and other organisations which are not charities, but which seek funding for charitable work can apply for grants of up to £3,000, though most grants will be for less than £1,000.

The funding is for charitable causes that are unpopular or do not receive widespread attention within the UK, with particular focus on deprived areas. This could be due to negative focus within the media; due to difficulty in accessing statutory, voluntary and institutional funding; due to the cause being seen as politically controversial; or because the issue is not typically seen as a charitable cause.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Asylum seekers and refugees

• Migrant communities

• Offenders and ex-offenders

• People experiencing violence or abuse

• Sex workers

• Trafficking and modern slavery

• Dependency or Addiction

• LGBT+

• Sexual and reproductive health.

The funding can be used for overheads, core costs, or administrative costs where they improve the sustainability and long-term success of an organisation.

This funder is looking to support organisations to undertake work and projects which are sustainable beyond the period of funding.

To be eligible, applicants must have an average annual income of less than £300,000, a bank account in their name, and a safeguarding policy if working with children or vulnerable adults.

Applications are encouraged from organisations that work together and can demonstrate how their work improves collaboration across the sector.

The next deadline for application is 1 August 2024 for awards in late summer.

For more information, visit Seven Friends Foundation | Registered Charity