Northern Ireland - Rural Micro Capital Grants Scheme

Grants are available for rural community-led, voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland to support projects that address issues of local poverty and social isolation, and to implement energy efficiency measures or environmental improvements.

Background

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), with funding provided from the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) programme.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended to support projects designed to:

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

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

• In line with the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland, provide opportunity to community-led, voluntary groups to implement energy efficiency measures and environmental improvements.

Value Notes

Grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available, to fund up to 85% of total project costs.

Total project costs must not exceed £4,000.

Match Funding Restrictions

Applicants must provide match funding of at least 15%, in the form of a cash contribution.

Labour or in-kind contributions will not be accepted.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from rural community or voluntary organisations or social economy enterprises located in Northern Ireland.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a formal constitution or governing documents.

• Have a minimum of three people on their management committee.

• Have a bank or building society account in the name of the group, which requires at least two signatures for each withdrawal.

• Enclose a copy of their most recent accounts or a signed financial statement.

• Be the sole applicant and owner or lessee of the building for which the application is being made.

• Be appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded a grant (building or contents insurance as appropriate).

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Organisations based in urban areas.

• Individuals, sole traders and/or commercial trading companies.

• Companies that exist to distribute a profit.

• Statutory Authorities or organisations governed by Statutory Authorities.

• Appeals or charities set up to support statutory bodies.

• Organisations with an income in excess of £80,000 (not including in-year restricted funds, eg non-business/grant income).

• More than one application to modernise a building.

• Costs already incurred.

• Grants to be used to match another funder's project.

• Projects where the value of match funding is greater than the value of grant.

• Second-hand equipment.

• Training.

• Hospitality, food, drink.

• Clothing, uniforms

• Motorised vehicles.

• Running costs.

• Consumables eg ink cartridges, paper. 

• Staff/volunteer expenses.

• Labour costs not directly associated with purchased capital works/items.

• Feasibility studies/reports.

Eligible Expenditure

Projects must focus on one of the following themes:

• Modernisation (of premises/assets).

• Information Communication Technology.

• Health and Wellbeing.

• Energy Efficiency/Environmental Improvements.

Grants can be used to purchase capital equipment, improve an asset, or extend the usable life of a capital asset.

Funding can also be used by organisations to implement energy efficiency measures and/or environmental improvements to their premises.

All projects must be completed and claims for grants submitted by 25 March 2025.

Location

Northern Ireland

How To Apply

The deadline for applications to the second 2024/25 funding round is 5 December 2024 (noon).

Applications must be completed online through the Rural Micro Capital Scheme portal.

Applicants are advised to contact their local Rural Support Network for further information.

Documents & links

• DAERA - Initiatives to Tackle Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI)

• DAERA - Rural Micro Capital Grants Scheme (RMCGS) 2024/25

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

1. Enquiries
   Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
   Dundonald House
   Upper Newtownards Road
   Ballymiscaw
   Belfast
   BT4 3SB
   Tel: 0300 200 7852
   Email: daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk

Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline Fund to Open 5 November 2024

The women’s charity, Rosa, has announced that their Voices from the Frontline Fund will run for a seventh year. The fund offers grants to women’s and girls’ organisations to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change. This year, grants have increased from £7,000 to £10,000 and will cover an 18-month period.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit women's sector voluntary and community organisations in the UK that have been active for at least one year and can produce annual accounts for an entire year.

They must meet Rosa’s definition of a women’s and girls’ organisation as those which are run by, for and with women and girls:

• Their organisation will be governed and led by women.

• They will have a Board of Trustees (or similar) where the Chair is a woman, and the majority of members are women.

• The majority of their organisation’s employee leadership team will be women.

• Their organisation will have the principal objective of working with women and/or girls and the majority of their organisation’s beneficiaries are, and will always be, women and/or girls.

Full details, including priorities, of the new round will be provided when the Fund reopens on 5 November 2024.

Applications will be accepted from 5 November until the deadline of 9 December 2024.

For more information, please visit Voices from the Frontline - Rosa

Kellogg’s School Breakfast Clubs Grant Programme Opens for Second 2024 Funding Round

Kellogg’s, in partnership with Forever Manchester, is offering grants of up to £1,000 to schools across the UK to help fund breakfast clubs aimed at pupils between reception class and year 13 to ensure that those who need it most receive a morning meal.

Priority will be given to schools that either:

• Have 35% and above of children eligible for pupil premium funding (for England) and eligible for free school meals (Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales); or

• Are based in an area which is classified as falling in the 10% of most deprived areas according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Only one grant per school in each academic year is available. A limited number of grants are available, and the fund may close at short notice if oversubscribed. Fee paying schools are not eligible to apply.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

For more information, please visit Grants For Schools | Kellogg's

Foyle Foundation Small Grants Scheme to Close 31 January 2025

Earlier this year, the Foyle Foundation announced that it will complete its grant giving programme in 2025 and it will stop accepting new applications to the Small Grants Scheme at the end of January 2025.  

The Foundation was established in 2000 with unrestricted charitable objectives and no request or need to maintain a permanent endowment. The Trustees decided to spend down its funds over 25 years, enabling more charitable causes to receive more support, more quickly, than would have been possible if the Foundation had maintained a permanent endowment. 

The scheme is open to UK charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000.  Priority is given to local charities still active in their communities that are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community. Applicants must show how any grant will make a significant difference to their current work and must be able to demonstrate ongoing financial viability over the next 12 months. 

Grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available for 12 months. The funding can be used for core costs (including salaries), projects, essential equipment, or building projects as long as they can be completed before the end of 2025. 

The Foundation has indicated that competition for the funding is ‘intense’ as they are receiving an unprecedented number of applications, many more than can be funded. 

Applications can be submitted at any time up to 31 January 2025.

For more information, please visit Small Grants Scheme Guidelines – The Foyle Foundation

Funding for Projects to Help Visually Impaired People

This funder provides grants to eye clinics, hospitals, schools, libraries and other organisations helping visually impaired people in the UK and overseas. It also funds medical research and the provision of facilities for the treatment or alleviation of visual impairment.

Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees. Grants range from around £100 to £500,000.

Applications are accepted from organisations that help the visually impaired in the UK or overseas. Organisations need not necessarily be a charity and can be a community interest company (CIC) or social group and could include:

• National and local blind and partially sighted societies

• Schools and colleges for visually impaired people

• Sports and social organisations for visually impaired people

Applications from public libraries run by local authorities will be considered if these are additional to the local authority's core service. Volunteer-run libraries may be supported if they are supported in cash or in kind by the local authority.

The funding can be used for costs associated with projects to improve or enhance services that will benefit people with significant visual impairments. Preference will be given to projects that will lead to longer-term benefits after the initial funding has ended.

Eligible costs can include equipment or materials. Staffing costs for specific, time-limited projects may be considered at the Trustees' discretion.

Applications are considered four times a year.

The next deadline for applications is 15 December 2024.

For more information, please visit Ulverscroft Foundation | Serving the Needs of Visually Impaired People | Homepage

Small Charities Can Apply Soon for Core Funding to Support Young People, Disadvantaged Families, Prisoners

The Woodward Charitable Trust, a grant-making trust, is one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Twice a year it awards grants to UK registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £200,000 who are making ‘a real difference in their communities and who stand out in the work that they do’.

The funding is for charitable organisations in the UK working in the following areas:

• Children and young people (up to 25 years) who are isolated, at risk of exclusion or involved in antisocial behaviour. This covers gang violence and knife crime, education and mentoring, as well as projects that work to raise self-esteem and employment opportunities and encourage an active involvement in and contribution towards the local community.

• Disadvantaged families. This covers parenting support and guidance, mental health, food poverty, refuges and domestic violence projects.

• Prisoners and ex-offenders and specifically projects that maintain and develop contact with prisoners' families and help with the rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners and/or ex-offenders after their release.

The majority of an applicant's beneficiaries (more than 50%) must be within at least one of these areas to be eligible.

Although grants of up to £3,000 are available, most grants are for £1,000 or less. The Trustees favour small-scale, locally based initiatives and most grants are only for one year.

The grants are for core costs rather than specific projects and will cover staff salaries, rent, utilities, general office costs, accountancy/audit costs, fundraising, governance and compliance, and costs supporting the core programmes of the organisation.

Applications will be considered from UK registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), community interest companies (CICs) and exempt charities with an annual turnover of less than £200,000.

Organisations may apply for a grant for up to three years in a row, or three times within a five-year period. Once this has been reached they must wait two years before reapplying.

There are two application windows each year with applications usually considered in March and November.

The next round will open for applications on 4 November 2024 and close on 13 December 2024 (noon). 

For more information, please visit The Woodward Charitable Trust

Peter Harrison Foundation’s Active Lives Grants Programme Reopens on 1 November

Funding for UK charities to support grassroots sports projects which provide opportunities for self-development for people living in the most disadvantaged areas in the UK who encounter physical, mental, social, or economic barriers.  

The funding is for physical activity initiatives that:  

• Offer high-impact, life-enhancing opportunities for those who live in the top 10% of areas of deprivation.

• Remove barriers to participation for disabled or disadvantaged people.

• Focus on grassroots involvement rather than elite participation in physical activity.

• Focus on skills development and confidence building for individuals.

• Incorporate effective strategies for wider impact, perhaps through training, partnerships and/or dissemination activities.

• Demonstrate a high degree of involvement across the organisation from beneficiaries and those with lived experience.

• Have a well-developed plan for sustainability and seek to deliver a legacy.

• Reflect the Foundation’s values of Excellence, Entrepreneurship, Integrity, Sustainability.

  Two levels of funding are available and will cover capital, project or core costs:

• Small grants – up to £5,000 (priority given to organisations with annual income under £500,000).

• Major grants – £5,001 to £30,000 (priority given to organisations with annual income under £5 million).

 Applications are accepted from UK organisations that:

• Are either a registered charity or a registered CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club).

• Have been registered with the charity regulator for two years or more (charity applicants).

• Have been registered as a CASC for two years or more (CASC applicants).

• Have produced independently examined or audited accounts for at least one full year of operation.

Community Interest Companies (CICs) and exempt charities may not apply.

Applications will be accepted from 1 November 2024 to 1 January 2025.

For more information, please visit About our grant programmes | Peter Harrison Foundation

Funding to Reuse and Recycle Small Household Electricals in the UK

Material Focus, an independent not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to stop electricals from being hoarded and thrown away, is offering grants to communities across the UK to reuse and recycle small household electricals.

A total of £750,000 is available  to support two types of projects:

• Growing existing services – grants of up to £100,000 for projects that grow existing collection methods for small electricals. This could be community drop points in libraries and other community locations, adding cages under refuse collection vehicles, bring banks/WEEE banks.

• Innovating new methods – grants of up to £50,000 to come up with new approaches to repair, reuse and/or recycle electricals, for example, collection points at large offices/campuses, drop-offs at post offices, major supermarkets, large shopping centres, retail parks, collection of waste electricals using the return journey/spare capacity during collection/delivery of parcels, or projects that support tackling the growing concerns around digital inclusion.

The funding can be used for:

• The purchase of new bins/collection points (‘bring banks’).

• The adaptation of waste collection vehicles to include cages for kerbside WEEE.

• Vehicle rental.

• Installation of bins.

• Communication and marketing materials.

• Staffing costs to cover the time spent planning and delivering the project.

• Salaries if the person is working to deliver the funded project.

A range of registered organisations can apply, including charities, local authorities, waste partnerships, private waste contractors, other private companies, and compliance schemes.

Material Focus will provide successful applicants with project management support.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, please visit Electricals Recycling Fund - Material Focus

B&Q Foundation Opens for Final Funding Round of 2024

B&Q Foundation offers grants to charities who are using the funds to provide, maintain, repair or improve housing or community space.

A wide range of UK registered charities based and working in the UK can apply for one-off grants of up to £5,000 for garden projects or up to £10,000 for building or indoor projects.

The funding is for registered charities working with people most in need because of homelessness, financial hardship, sickness, disability or other disadvantage.

Charities can use the grants to decorate, renovate or create spaces (indoors and outdoors) with the aim of making people feel at home and having a sense of belonging. Projects could include creating community gardens, redecorating properties, installing new boilers, and creating new buildings or rooms.

The funding will cover the full cost for the completion of the project, including staff time required.

 Please note CICs and unregistered community groups are not eligible for this funding.

The B&Q Foundation Grants programme is managed by Neighbourly, a platform used by local Good Causes across the UK and Ireland.

Groups will need to create a profile on the Neighbourly platform as part of the B&Q Foundation application process.  The profile can also be used to access other types of support on the Neighbourly platform.

The deadline for applications is 15 November 2024 (18:00).

For more information, please visit Apply For a Grant | B&Q Foundation

Ards and North Down Borough Council Tourism Events and Festivals Fund

Opens THURSDAY 31st OCTOBER 2024 at 12noon and close on MONDAY 25th NOVEMBER 2024 at 12noon. 

The aim of the Fund is to provide grant aid for tourism events and festivals which can demonstrate a positive economic impact within Ards and North Down by attracting additional visitors and spend, contributing to a positive image of the Borough among visitors and residents.   

Guidance Notes for Applicants - please download here  Guidance Notes for TEFF 2025-26 (PDF) [356KB](opens new window)

Please email tourismgrants@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk to register or for further information. 

Please note, all successful applications are subject to budget confirmation. 

Applicants should also refer to the Event Management Toolkit for more information and guidance to assist in organising your event. This includes the Event Management Guide, the Event Management Plan Template, the Risk Assessment Template and the Council Land Request Form. 

Free Equipment and Training for Sports Clubs in the Western Trust area

The Public Health Agency, through the Clear Project, are offering constituted voluntary sector sports clubs in the Western Trust area the opportunity to avail of training, which will help them support their members. The amount available to spend on relevant sports equipment for their club is £500.

 
In order to receive this aid clubs must:

• Be a constituted voluntary sector sports club and enclose a copy of this document and a list of their committee members.

• Be appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded.

• Enclose the most recent annual accounts or statement of income and expenditure which must be approved and signed by an officeholder.

• Operate within the Western Trust area.

• Have a significant impact upon or involvement from their local community.

• Must have a minimum of 3 to 5 members attend training safeTALK, relevant approved mental health programme (Level 1 mental health awareness e-learning module and Zero Suicide Alliance

 Please note: This must be members who have significant input in / involvement / role with the club. 
(SafeTALK trainings will open for bookings once grant applications have been approved)

Equipment requested should help the club develop activities that meet the needs of the local community and support the delivery of the ‘Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing’. 
These are five simple steps to help maintain and improve your wellbeing through the themes of ‘Connect’, ‘Be active’, ‘Take Notice’, ‘Keep Learning’ and ‘Give’.

To claim funding from the Clear project clubs will be asked to:

1. Submit grant application then once accepted complete training.

2. Seek out a quote for the equipment (quote to be approved by the Clear Project).

3. Pay the chosen supplier directly.  Where a club cannot provide sufficient evidence of proper financial processes, the Clear Project will pay for direct invoices/items needed.  

4. Submit an invoice made out to the Clear Project for the amount spent, accompanied with the receipt/s as proof of purchase. 

If the club does not have the finances, then requests for advance payment will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Any relevant sports club within the Western Trust area can apply for the funding however preference will be given to:

• Groups operating in the top 20% most disadvantaged Super output areas (SOA’s).

• Those with lower capacity.

Please note: The funding award will not be released until all training has been completed and all paperwork has been returned.  All training must be completed by 31st January 2025

To apply, please download and complete the application form below

1. Sports Grant  Announcement Flyer 

2. Application form 

3. safeTALK Training Flyer 

4. Process for purchase of Sports Equipment 

5. List of SOA’s 

6. Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing 

Closing date for applications is 
Wednesday 20th November 2024 at 3pm

Completed application forms and supporting documents will be accepted by:

Email: clear@dhcni.com 
or 
Post: Clear Project (Sports Grants), Building 83 Ledwidge Avenue, Ebrington, Derry~Londonderry, BT47 6GZ.

Small Grants 2025-26 Tranche 1

Belfast City Council’s Small Grants 2025-26 Tranche 1 are now open for applications for the grants listed below. The submission deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Friday 10 January 2025.

1. Community Festivals Fund

2. Arts & Heritage

3. Good Relations

4. Parks Events

5. Sports Events

6. Support for Sport: Large Development Grant

7. Support for Sport: Small Development Grant

8. Support for Sport: Hospitality Grant

9. Support for Sport: Sporting Individual Grant

10. Community Summer Scheme

For further details, guidance notes and to apply online please visit our website https://grants.belfastcity.gov.uk or contact the Central Grants Unit Belfast City Council at cgugrants@belfastcity.gov.uk

Community Support Grant Aid Programmes

Derry City and Strabane District Council has the following funds open for applications:

• Community Festival Fund 2025-26

• Christmas Event Fund 2025-26

• Headline Events Fund 2025-26

• Access Programme for Cultural Organisations 2025-26

• Artist & Cultural Practitioner Awards Fund 2025-26

• Heritage Animation & Visitor Servicing Programme 2025-26.

  Open 14 October 2024 (10:00am). Deadline 15 November 2024 (noon).

  For more information, please visit dcsdcgrantaid.com/grant-aid-programmes.asp

Small Grants to Support Those in Need of a Safe and Secure Home

UK registered charities from anywhere in the UK can apply now for small grants of between £250 and £1,000 for projects that support those in need of a safe and secure home.

The funding is intended to support projects to improve the health, wellbeing and financial literacy of people who are experiencing homelessness.

Grants are only for capital expenditure (that is, to purchase items used to directly help those in need).

Applications will be accepted from registered charities in the UK that have a turnover of less than £1 million.

The deadline for applications is 11 November 2024.

For more information, please visit About Charitable Foundation | Leeds Building Society

Funding to Help Disadvantaged Groups Improve their Communication Skills

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for UK registered charities for specific projects that improve communication skills for disadvantaged adults and supports NEET people into employment.

This funder views communication skills as critical capabilities for people who want to improve their employment prospects, self-confidence, resilience, and life chances.

Applications will be accepted from UK charities, registered with the Charity Commission for least three years, with an annual turnover of between £25,000 and £500,000 that are working to develop communication skills for people from disadvantaged groups who want to improve their employment prospects. Beneficiaries must gain at least one accredited vocational qualification during delivery.

Proposals are particularly welcome which target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups demonstrably facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, and refugees.

Priority will be given to match funded projects and self-sustainable projects, with a view to becoming less reliant on grants in the future.

Grants cannot be used for capital costs.

There is a two-stage application process.

The deadline for stage one applications is 6 January 2025 for consideration in March 2025.

For more information, please visit Thomas Wall Trust | Thomas Wall Trust

Funding to Support New Housing Ideas Focused on Migration, Asylum and Human Trafficking

Commonweal Housing, an independent social justice charity working to investigate, pilot and champion housing-based solutions to social injustice, is offering up to three grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 to carry out a feasibility study to evaluate a housing and support model that addresses a specific social injustice.

The Autumn 2024 Call for New Ideas is exclusively focused on injustices around migration, asylum and human trafficking.

There is particular interest in new and imaginative ideas for housing projects that seek to:

• Address transition points between and within systems that drive housing insecurity (such as asylum to refugee status, the NRM lifecycle, unaccompanied minors to adulthood, family reunification, etc).

• Support survivors of trafficking, both non-UK and UK nationals.

• Demonstrate possible long term cost savings benefits for the government through focusing on community integration or employability support, as examples.

Not-for-profit organisations in the UK may apply. They do not need to be experts in housing or have experience in delivering housing projects. However, they do need to demonstrate their understanding of the issue they are seeking to address.

Joint applications will be accepted. Partners must be a not-for-profit but can include local or combined authorities.

The deadline to apply is 4 November 2024 (17:00).

For more information, please visit Call for New Ideas - Commonweal Housing

Capital Grants Fund

The Capital Grants Fund is available to local sports and community organisations for support towards the development of new or the enhancement of existing facilities to meet unmet need. 

The Capital Grants Programme will only fund properly constituted not for profit community and voluntary sector organisations. 

 Key Dates:

- Expressions of Interests – 8th October 2024 to 29th October 2024 (12 noon)
- Pre-application workshop on 12th November 2024
- Full Application call – 11th November 2024 – 17th January 2025 (12 noon)

Key Notes:

- A total capital grant pot of £600,000 per annum is available
- Not for profit sporting or community organisations can apply for awards of up to 80% of total project costs. (Max amount per application is £120,000).
- Max allocation per sporting code is 20% of the annual pot.
- Capital grants must be fully drawn down within a 5-year time frame from grant award date.
- Organisations/projects that have received a capital grant from Council in the last 3 years will not be   eligible for an award.

For detailed guidance notes and to complete an Expression of Interest form please go to:-  https://grants.ccgbcapps.com/

Funding Available for Historic Building Repairs in Northern Ireland

Owners of historic, listed buildings in Northern Ireland can access financial support to carry out essential repair work, with a focus on keeping buildings watertight. This funding is part of the Department for Communities' Historic Environment Fund initiative, aimed at preserving architectural heritage.

The Repair Stream of the Historic Environment Fund offers up to £8,000 per property, and up to £15,000 for thatched buildings, for vital roof and window repairs in the 2025/26 financial year. The aim is to spread the available support widely and to help owners tackle the impact of more extreme weather resulting from climate change.

Eligible works include repairs to slated roofs, leadwork, chimney repairs, thatch roofs and windows. Some professional fees may also be covered, but the programme does not support alterations, improvements or work on unlisted historic buildings. Churches are also excluded from funding.

The deadline for applications is 27 November 2024 (17:00 GMT).

For more information, please visit Historic Environment Fund Repair stream | Department for Communities (communities-ni.gov.uk)

National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Launches New Strengthening Communities Programme

The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) for Northern Ireland has announced the launch of its new community-led funding programme: Strengthening Communities.

The new fund is available to voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland and will invest £20 million each year in support of NLCF’s 2030 strategy  ‘It starts with community'. Grants of between £20,001 and £500,000 for up to five years.

The Fund has a targeted approach distinct from previous programmes, as it is intended for projects focused on early intervention with a particular focus on people who experience poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.

The Fund will start by targeting two of the NLCF's mission areas:

• Help children and young people thrive.

• Enable people to live healthier lives.

Projects must align with at least one of the following outcomes:

• Communities help to reduce health inequalities.

• Communities support people’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing.

• People have positive relationships and connections.

• Communities help young people to reach their potential and thrive as adults.

• Children and young people develop good social and emotional skills.

Organisations are encouraged to consider how to make their projects accessible to vulnerable and excluded communities.

Project costs and overheads are eligible for funding.

NLCF will be hosting online information sessions on the following dates:

• 16 October 2024 (11:00 – 12:00).

• 16 October 2024 (18:30 – 19:30).

• 24 October 2024 (14:00 – 15:00).

Organisations can register for the sessions on the National Lottery Community Fund website.

The Fund will open to applications on 21 October 2024. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, please visit Strengthening Communities | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Northern Ireland Community Relations Core Funding Programme Accepting Applications

An annual programme providing support to not-for-profit organisations with an interest in promoting community relations and cultural diversity in Northern Ireland is accepting applications.

The programme has an annual budget of around £1.2 million with approximately 30 groups normally receiving funding. For 2025/26, it is estimated that around £700,000 is available for new applications. While there is no minimum or maximum grant value, grants typically range between £20,000 and £80,000.

The Core Funding Programme provided by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council seeks to support not-for-profit organisations deemed strategically important in promoting community relations.

To be eligible for support, projects must meet the following criteria:

• The work must be intentional - programmes must have a clear good relations purpose from the outset with deliberate and planned activities which directly address sectarianism.

• All applications must be able to clearly demonstrate the good relations need they want to address and how they have identified this need.

Proposed projects must contribute towards one or more of the Together: Building a United Community strategic priorities, with funding intended to contribute towards salary and organisational running costs.

The deadline for applications is 15 November 2024 (16:00).

For more information, please visit Core Funding Scheme | Community Relations Council (community-relations.org.uk)