The James Kane Foundation

The James Kane Foundation is an independent Charity. In 2025 the Foundation will be moving to an online grant application process. Expressions of Interest will open on Monday 6th January 2025 and close on Friday 28th March 2025 at 4pm.

Expressions of Interest will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis during this application period and we will let you know asap once a decision is made whether to proceed to application or reject.  

 The Foundation will focus on two themes:

• Enabling STEM related education and career opportunities.
• Enabling students to make the correct choices between employment/career and higher-level education pathways.

Only projects within Northern Ireland meeting one or both these themes will be eligible. The James Kane Foundation will not fund initiatives which it believes schools, colleges or councils have a statutory obligation to provide.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Foundation will support applications that are aligned to its mission that is “To progress and facilitate education and career opportunities” and the themes as stated above.

• The Foundation can fund Individuals and the wider community with a focus on:

– Education bodies including schools, colleges and third level institutions (but will not fund activity which these have a statutory duty to provide.)

 – Employers including private sector companies.

 – Charities and Social Enterprises

• The Foundation can fund on a multi-year basis.

• Priority may be given to projects that benefit those living in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council area.

• Grants can be used in conjunction with other funding sources you may have already secured.

• The Foundation can fund the same organisation more than once. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• The Foundation seeks additionality in all projects that it funds. 

Grant Budget

The Foundation intends to allocate in the region of £400,000 per year for large scale projects and will consider multi-year funding. 75% of the budget will be allocated to large grants and 25% to small grants – under £25,000.

How to apply
All potential applicants are asked to submit an Expression of Interest form. This is an opportunity to summarise your project and explain how it meets the theme/themes of the James Kane Foundation. This information will be used to decide whether you’ll be invited to submit a full application or not.

The James Kane Foundation recognise the time and amount of work that is involved in planning a project and applying for funding. The Expression of Interest acts as a filter regarding any projects which are unlikely to receive funding and saves the time involved on working on a full application.

 More information available here : https://jameskanefoundation.org/our-approach/

Charles Hayward Foundation

UK registered charities with an annual income of less than £350,000 can apply for a grant of up to £7,000. The funding will support programmes in the following areas:

• Aiming to alleviate isolation and depression in older people, including informal day care or social, physical and recreational activities which give practical help, assistance and support for older people living in their own homes.

• Addressing the emotional and practical needs of older carers.

• Designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia.

The Charles Hayward Foundation, who offers these grants, wish to fund preventative and early intervention programmes being delivered at the community level which allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent. Programmes need to demonstrate their effectiveness in improving the quality of life of older people. The Foundation favours projects that offer a consistent and sustained benefit rather than one-off events or short-lived activities. Please note this is a very popular fund and is usually oversubscribed. Applications are currently being accepted. There are no deadlines.

For more information, please visit the website- www.charleshaywardfoundation.org.uk

ABC Funding Opportunities

Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council is offering financial assistance to eligible groups in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector for Capital projects 2025/2026.

Large Capital Project Fund 2025/2026

Opens for applications at 9.00am on Monday 13 January and closes at 12noon on Friday 17 October 2025, or when the budget is fully committed, whichever comes first.

Small Capital Project Fund 2025/2026

Opens for applications at 9.00am on Monday 13 January and closes at 12noon on Friday 7 February 2025. Projects must not commence before 1 April 2025.

Groups wishing to be notified of future funding opportunities and other relevant information should request their details be added to the Council database by emailing fap@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

Further information including details of how to apply can be found at Funding Hub | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

First point of contact is Valerie Armstrong 07515 607 480

Funding for Sustainable and Active Travel in the UK

Naturesave Trust is currently accepting applications to its Spring 2025 round.

This small, registered charity is the charitable arm of Naturesave Insurance, an ethical insurance provider, and provides funding three times a year to support specific UK-based environmental, conservation and community renewable energy projects.

The Trust offers funding for a different theme each year.

This year, grants of up to £5,000 are for projects that actively promote sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to travel and transport.

NatureSave is looking to support the following types of projects:

• Vehicles – clean fuel, batteries or both. This can include electric vehicles, hybrid power systems and fuel cells.

• Infrastructure – such as public transportation systems.

• Energy source – using renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels like coal.

• Activity – walking, cycling or using a scooter instead of driving. 

Applications are accepted from a range of UK based organisations, including charities, social enterprises, voluntary organisations, small grassroots community groups and businesses.

To be eligible, the organisation and/or project must be entirely based in the UK and have a website or social media presence.

There are three funding windows per year: January to February; May to June; and September to October.

The application deadline for the current round is 27 February 2025 (12 noon).

For more information, please visit The Naturesave Trust - Naturesave Insurance

Royal Countryside Fund’s New UK-Wide Grant Programme to Open 10 January

Not-for-profit community organisations with an income of less than £500,000 a year can apply for grants of up to £25,000 over a period of 24 months to deliver activities that fall under four key themes:

• Keeping young people in the countryside: support for projects which increase access to skills training and employment opportunities in rural communities.

• Powering up rural communities: support for projects which aim to provide financial benefits to the locality, addressing local needs.

• Environmental sustainability: support for community-driven projects which aim to increase the environmental sustainability of their community through reducing emissions/environmental impact, creating positive benefits for the community and improving the quality of the local environment.

• Building emergency resilience in rural areas: support for communities to develop preventative measures and plans to respond to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, helping them to be better prepared to cope with and recover from emergencies. Communities are invited to bid for money that will create tangible change. 

The grants can be used for direct costs, organisational development, core or fixed costs.

Projects must start within six months of the agreement start date and all projects must be completed by June 2027.

Organisations in Cumbria and Northumberland may not apply to this round (2025) as the Trust's recent joint programme focused on these counties.

Expressions of interest will be accepted from 10 January 2025 to 21 February 2025 (midday).

For more information, please visit Supporting Rural Communities - The Royal Countryside Fund

Funding for Charities Working with Ex-Offenders, Young Offenders or Young People at Risk of Offending

UK registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations based and working in the UK that can demonstrate impact with ex-offenders, young offenders or young people at risk of offending, either within a local area or nationally may apply for small grants of up to £5,000 or larger grants with no set limit.

The funding is intended for registered charities working to:

• Support offenders and ex-offenders into work, specifically for those looking to build skills and capability to get into sustainable work.

• Help specific groups within the criminal justice sector that are less popular with funders than others.

• Support young people (up to 25 years) from disadvantaged and socio-economically challenged groups, such as immigrants, to ensure they are given every possible chance to realise their full potential and to participate fully in society.

Grants are normally awarded for one year only, though exceptions can be made.

Whilst the size of organisation is not relevant when making an application, it may be easier for smaller organisations to demonstrate impact.

The grants can be used for pump priming, project funding, associated project costs, core costs for new projects and innovative or pioneering work.

There are usually three funding rounds per year.

The next deadline for applications is midday on 13 March 2025.

For more information, please visit The Weavers' Company – Weaving, charity, and fellowship

2025/26 Central Good Relations Fund

The 2025/26 Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF) opened for applications on Tuesday 17th December 2024, for groups who wish to apply online for a project funding grant (for projects over £1,500).

Applications must be submitted online by:

Monday 27 January 2025 at 4:00pm

To access the online application portal, you must first register your organisation. However, if you have previously registered, you do not need to register again. If you are unsure if your organisation has previously been registered, please contact a member of the team who will be able to advise. Please follow the link below and enter your username and password in the ‘Local Account Login’ section to log in to the application portal.

Already Registered? Login to apply for a 2025/26 CGRF grant

If you have not already registered, please use the link below to register your organisation. Please note, you must correctly register your organisation by 12 noon on Friday 24th January 2025 to enable access to the online application portal. Any registrations submitted after this time will not be accepted and you will be unable to submit an application for the 2025/26 funding year.

Register to be able to apply for a 2025/26 CGRF grant

It is advised that all applicants read the 2025/26 CGRF Guidance notes (attached) which include a step-by-step guide to the registration process and application form before you start.

Register

To register (if you have not already done so), you will need:

• Your contact information;

• Details of your organisation, including address and organisation type; and

• A copy of your organisation’s constitution (WORD or PDF).

Online Application

To apply online you will need:

• Your online sign in details (username and password);

• Details of your proposed project including proposed activities and costings; and

• Copies of job descriptions, if applicable (for any salary(s) being claimed).

Got questions?

Contact our team using the e-mail below:

• GoodRelationsFund@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk

Online Information Sessions  

2025/26 Central Good Relations Fund

To help groups apply for funding, the Executive Office will be hosting three ‘CGRF Online Information Sessions’ via MS Teams.

The sessions will take place on: -

• Session 1 – Tuesday 7 January 2025 @ 10.30am

• Session 2 – Monday 13 January 2025 @ 2.30pm

• Session 3 - Thursday 23 January 2025 @ 10.30am

The online forums will be a great way to find out more about the CGRF fund, and advice and guidance will be offered in relation to projects that could be delivered, the application form, and how to apply etc.

The online forums will last approximately 1hr and will also include a Q&A session where attendees can submit questions to the panel.

Register to attend an online session:

Please click the link under the session you wish to attend in order to register. You will then be provided with joining instructions for your chosen session.

In advance of the session, you may wish to ensure that the device you will be logging on with is compatible with MS Teams.

• Session 1 – Tuesday 7 January 2025 @ 10.30am

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/76ba490e-5df7-4907-b3a7-0c8a6e76061f@e7a13aea-9437-4db7-a22b-cfaa4ce33b6e

• Session 2 – Monday 13 January 2025 @ 2.30pm

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2f240502-6d47-4867-ae2d-9626e74db98a@e7a13aea-9437-4db7-a22b-cfaa4ce33b6e

• Session 3 - Thursday 23 January 2025 @ 10.30am

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/127d8713-3b16-4f43-b38b-952ff1dceab9@e7a13aea-9437-4db7-a22b-cfaa4ce33b6e

Should you have any queries in advance of the information session (or at any time), or have anything in particular you would like us to cover within the session please email GoodRelationsFund@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk

Funding for Projects Supporting Those in Need of a Safe and Secure Home

The Leeds Building Society Foundation offers grants to UK registered charities for projects which address one or more of the following themes:

• Financial stress - projects that help with bills or debt stress.

• Security and refuge - projects that support emergency accommodation.

• Quality and suitability of housing.

• Health and wellbeing support for those experiencing homelessness if it is part of wraparound support and the application also meets at least one of the other themes.

Applications are welcome from those who take a Housing First and/or relationship-based approach. Applications should show evidence of:

• Strength-based practice

• Trauma-informed care

• Psychologically informed environments.

Depending on their annual turnover, UK registered charities can apply for:

• Small Grants of between £250 and £1,000 to charities anywhere in the UK that have a turnover of less than £1 million. The funding is to be used for projects that support those in need of a safe and secure home. Grants are only for capital expenditure (that is, to purchase items used to directly help those in need).

• Large Grants of between £25,000 and £100,000 for charities with a turnover of £5 million or less who are based in or delivering work in Yorkshire and/or the North East of England. The grant can be a one year grant, or split across two or three years and can support new work or existing work and fund core, project and/or capital costs.

The Foundation has introduced a two-stage application for large grants in 2025. The first step is to submit a short expression of interest.

There are three large grant and four small grant application rounds per year.

The first deadline for both small grants and large grants is 10 February 2025 for consideration in late March.

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

JRCT's Power and Accountability Programme Reopens to Applications

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is once again accepting applications from not-for-profit organisations working at the national level to ensure a more equal share of power in society.

This programme aims to support people to create a world in which power is more equally shared, and in which powerful institutions are responsive and accountable to wider society and aligned with the long-term public interest.  

The priorities are:

• Strengthening corporate accountability 

• Strengthening democratic accountability 

• Encouraging responsible media 

JRCT will consider applications for national work in the UK, or elsewhere in the EU for work at a pan-European level.

Organisations that are a registered, excepted or exempt charity based within the UK and all of their work fits within the published programme are encouraged to apply for unrestricted or core support, although they may apply for programme or project funding if they prefer. There is no set grant limit.

Applications will be accepted from a range of organisations. It is not necessary to be a registered charity to apply to the Trust, however, the Trust can only support work which is legally charitable as defined in UK law.

Organisations should be undertaking work at a national level. This means work that seeks to make positive change across the UK as a whole, or across one or more of its member countries - England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Groups who have not registered on the JRCT grants management system need to do so by 18 February 2025 in order to submit an application for the current round.

The deadline for applications is 4 March 2025 (10am).

For more information, please visit Power and Accountability

JRCT's Northern Ireland Programme Accepting Applications for 2025

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT), an independent Quaker trust, makes grants to organisations and individuals working to produce positive social change through their charitable work.

After a long pause, the Northern Ireland Programme has reopened for applications.

This programme offers grants (there is no set amount) for UK registered charities whose work to promote peace, equality, inclusion and human rights contributes to the ongoing transformation of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Funding is available for work in the following priority areas:

Strengthening human rights and equality - work which:

• Aims to ensure the implementation of human rights commitments by the state.

• Promotes policy initiatives and advocacy campaigns aimed at achieving equity and inclusion for marginalised or minoritised communities.

• Strengthens the anti-racist voice in systems of power and accountability in Northern Ireland.

 Reimagining society - work which:

• Fosters a positive, forward-thinking political landscape in Northern Ireland, emphasising participation, inclusion and sustainability.

• Promotes inclusive, evidence-based and responsible public discourse.

• Facilitates the growth of progressive social movements within Northern Ireland.

Cultivating peace and reconciliation - work which:

• Promotes a shared understanding of the root causes of past violence.

• Encourages groups engaged in armed struggle to take steps towards exclusively non-violent strategies and to engage in comprehensive processes of transition from paramilitarism to civilian life.

• Assists communities heavily influenced by paramilitarism in cultivating democratic, anti-sectarian, and non-violent methods for expressing and managing political differences.

Applications will be considered from organisations that are registered, excepted or exempt charities based within the UK. 

While the primary focus of the programme lies within Northern Ireland, the committee will consider applications for initiatives that work on an all-island basis, or that will strengthen civil society relationships on an East-West or North-South basis (in partnership with organisations in Britain and Ireland).

Local work will be supported only where it is likely to have a wider impact, for example if it is testing a model which can then be replicated, or is addressing a local issue that has wider social or political implications.

Groups who have not registered on the JRCT grants management system need to do so by 17 February 2025 in order to submit an application for the current round.

The deadline for applications is 3 March 2025 (9am).

For more information please visit Northern Ireland

Funding Available for Building Community-Pharmacy Partnerships (NI)

Funding is available to community organisations working in partnership with community pharmacists on projects and initiatives that address local health and social wellbeing needs across Northern Ireland.

The Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) is a joint venture between the Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) and the Health and Social Care Board with strategic direction offered by a multi-agency Steering Group. The programme works towards:

• Enabling project participants to reach their full potential.

• Promoting the role of community pharmacies in public health advocacy.

• Supporting community partners to address and recognise health inequalities in their community.

• Increasing social capital to build connected and engaged communities.

Both of the programme's grant streams are currently open to applications from community organisations working in partnership with community pharmacists:

• Level 1 - for groups interested in developing ideas and a community pharmacy partnership. Grants of up to £2,500 will be awarded for projects lasting up to six months.

• Level 2 - for groups seeking to develop a community pharmacy partnership that will address a range of locally identified health and well-being needs. Grants of up to £12,000 will be awarded for projects lasting approximately one year.

Participants must be key in the planning, delivery and evaluation of initiatives. The closing date for submissions depends on the level of funding being sought:

The deadline for Level 1 applications is 27 February 2025, and the deadline for Level 2 applications is 20 March 2025.

For more information, please visit Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership Programme | Community Development and Health Network

Army Benevolent Fund Opens for Applications for 2025 Funding

The Army Benevolent Fund provides grants to charities and organisations that provide lifetime support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families when they are in need.

The funding is intended to support charities and organisations with projects and activities that directly benefit the Army community in six key areas: supporting the family; employment, education and training; elderly care; mobility; housing; and wellbeing.

Applications will be accepted from the following organisations which support the Army community:

• Not-for-profit organisations

• Community Interest Companies (CICs)

• Community Projects

• Housing Associations

The Charity prefers to support those organisations working directly with beneficiaries at a grassroots level.

Funding is at the discretion of the Grants Committee. The charity has not set a minimum or maximum amount. Applications from organisations with which the charity has no established relationship are likely to be below £15,000. Typically, grants are made for a single year; however, the Charity’s Trustees may consider making a grant spread over a number of years at their discretion if they feel this would be appropriate.

The main Grants Committee normally sits three times a year, in February, June and November. New partners and projects are considered at the February Committee.

Applications open on 10 December 2024 and close on 17 January 2025.

For more information, please visit Grants to charities - Army Benevolent Fund

Small Grants for Small Charities Supporting Older People

UK registered charities with an annual income of less than £350,000 can apply for a grant of up to £7,000.

The funding will support programmes in the British Isles that are:

• Aiming to alleviate isolation and depression in older people, including informal day care or social, physical and recreational activities.

• Which give practical help, assistance and support for older people living in their own homes.

• Addressing the emotional and practical needs of older carers.

• Designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia.

The Charles Hayward Foundation, who offers these grants, wish to fund preventative and early intervention programmes being delivered at the community level which allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent. Programmes need to demonstrate their effectiveness in improving the quality of life of older people. The Foundation favours projects that offer a consistent and sustained benefit rather than one-off events or short-lived activities.

Please note this is a very popular fund and is usually oversubscribed.

Applications are currently being accepted. There are no deadlines.

For more information, please visit A grant-making charitable trust for UK charities - Charles Hayward Foundation

Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund Opens for UK Applications

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has recently relaunched its Collection Fund as the Communities and Collections Fund to better represent its dual focus on collections and inclusion. 

Although the overall purpose of the Communities and Collections Fund has not changed, the fund will place more emphasis on equitable working, supporting wellbeing and legacy planning.

The fund offers:

• Core grants to museums that have established strategic aims for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and that are ready to use their collections and the funding to support social and climate justice, in ways that are relevant to local contexts and relationships.

• Partnership project grants to museums and community organisations that work equitably together and share aims for DEI, and which have ambitious and compelling ideas for inclusive project work with collections.

Grants of £40,000 to £100,000 are available over a period of up to three years. It is expected that around 12 grants will be awarded across the two funding rounds in 2025.

Applications are open to all Museums Association institutional member museums and galleries in the UK. Applicants should initially contact a member of Communities and Collections Fund staff before submitting an EOI to ensure that the fund is a good fit and to help draw out the strengths in their application.

Commenting on the relaunch, Sharon Heal, director, Museums Association said:

“The development of the fund over the past 11 years has shown a real desire on the part of museums to forge strong connections between collections and communities and our research earlier this year told us that the fund should have a focus on people and should support community organisations to have a say in how the funding is spent.

“In order to do that well, we have to look after the people that we work with – staff and community partners – and make sure relationships between museums and communities are truly equitable. These exciting changes will be part of the new fund and I hope will support museums across the UK to put people at the heart of what they do.”

The next deadline for expressions of interest is 5 February 2025.

For more information, please visit Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund - Museums Association

Micro Community Investment Fund

Fund Aims

The fund will provide valuable investment for community initiatives making a difference in towns and villages across Northern Ireland.

The fund will enable those organisations who are making the lives of others in their communities better, by improving their financial, physical, and mental wellbeing.

Criteria

You do not have to have a constitution to apply to this fund.  We will discuss your project with you in advance of application if you do not have certain governance requirements for funding in place.

We want to support smaller, grassroots organisations delivering great work.  For this reason, whilst groups with an income of up to £30,000 per annum are eligible to apply preference will be given to groups with an income of up to £10,000.

Community Investments available: Up to £1,500

Applications are sought to support both new and existing activities and projects that enhance the financial, physical and/or mental wellbeing of people in communities. We will support new or existing community initiatives that have a particular focus on addressing the challenges people are facing around the rising cost of living.

The Micro fund aims to support Community projects should focus on improving at least one of the following:

• Financial wellbeing

• Physical wellbeing

• Mental wellbeing

Applications for funding must target one of the themes below:

• Projects promoting inclusion and belonging, particularly to enhance the physical and mental well being of the local community

• Projects that strengthen the capacity of individuals to engage with a range of available digital services in order to help manage their money in a digital age

• Projects that enhance people’s financial knowledge through financial education programmes

• Projects promoting physical activity which uses the assets located within the area

• Projects that improve the ability of individuals to access mental health and wellbeing services either i) directly, through the provision of support or ii) indirectly, through education/awareness raising programmes

• Projects that encourage the active participation of individuals in their own mental wellbeing. Projects should aim to promote increased independence/resilience in relation to an individual’s mental health

We want to prioritise projects that:

• Focus on the positive contribution of people within the community and support the challenges that people face in light of the rising cost of living

• Enable active participation of a community in decision-making and involvement in making their community a better place to live in

• Focus on the assets within the community which the project will use to make the community a better place to live in

• Help get people engaged in taking community action where it hasn’t happened before to make the community a better place to live in.

• Projects that address more than one particular strand of wellbeing

For more information, please visit Micro Community Investment Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland

Funding to Support Vulnerable Young People and Child Carers Across the UK

7Stars Foundation is offering grants of up to £2,500 for registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £1.5 million across the UK to deliver projects and activities that support young people aged 16 years and under across the priority themes of abuse, addiction, child carers, and homelessness.

Funding for offered across the following streams:

• Project grants to cover the costs of projects that respond to one or more of the funding priorities of the 7stars Foundation.

• Shine Bright funding for groups to purchase educational, wellbeing, or recreational items for young people, aligned to funding priorities of the Foundation.

• Direct grants funding to individuals affected by the Foundation's priorities, supported by outreach/social/care workers or legal professionals.

• Social Impact funding for three charities across the year for projects that align with awareness days across the year.

The trustees typically meet three times a year to review grant applications.

The next deadline for applications is 2 February 2024. 

For more information please visit Apply for Funding - the7stars foundation

NI's Community Relations and Cultural Diversity Funding Programme Open for Applications

Northern Ireland's Community Relations/Cultural Diversity Grant Scheme is inviting applications from locally based voluntary and community organisations to develop their capacity to engage in community relations work and to enhance the community relations potential of projects they undertake.

The scheme is aimed at community development groups, cultural organisations, women's and men's groups, faith-based groups, tenants' associations, youth groups and rural groups involved in community relations, reconciliation projects and cultural engagement for projects primarily involving adults.

The funding is for projects which address at least one of the Community Relations Council's objectives:

• Develop opportunities for groups to explore their own cultures, beliefs and traditions increasing their capacities to develop relations with those from other cultures.

• Develop opportunities for groups to extend their knowledge and understanding of others' culture, beliefs and traditions.

• To enable groups to challenge stereotypes of their own and other communities to acknowledge and address differences.

• To increase the ability and confidence of groups and organisations to identify issues which divide them.

• To develop networks of communication, trust and cooperation between divided communities.

• To promote models of good practice for community relations work in Northern Ireland.

Groups can apply for grants of up to £10,000, but most grants awarded will be between £2,000 and £5,000. There is limited funding, and the programme may close early depending on demand.

The deadline for applications is 31 March 2025 (4pm).

For more information please visit Community Relations / Cultural Diversity | Community Relations Council

Maker Relief Fund Supports UK Craftspeople in Need

The Maker Relief Fund is offering grants to UK-based professional craftspeople facing financial hardship.

Grants of £1,000 will be awarded to 50 eligible applicants over the course of a year, starting in November 2024 and running through to the end of October 2025.

These grants are intended to provide flexible financial support, allowing recipients to use the funds without restrictions.

Practising professional craftspeople are eligible to apply if they identify with one or more of the following groups:

• Individuals on low incomes.

• Working-class people.

• Black and ethnically diverse people (including Gypsy, Roma, and Travellers).

• People with disabilities, neurodiversity or those managing chronic physical or mental health issues.

• LGBTQIA+ individuals.

• People with caring responsibilities.

The initiative aims to support these people in sustaining their careers during times of financial difficulty.

Applications can be submitted at any time until the end of October 2025.

For more information, please visit Maker Relief Fund - Heritage Crafts |

Arts Council NI Accepting Applications to Annual Funding Programme

Grants are available for organisations in all artforms and practices to support core and programming costs under the Annual Funding Programme provided by Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).

The programme is accepting applications from the following:

• Non-profit distributing organisations that can demonstrate that they require a year-round resource to deliver the programme.

• Commercial organisations if the proposed programme is primarily for the benefit of the public and where there are plans to re-invest any surplus into a similar and ongoing arts programme.

All new applicant organisations to the programme must have been in receipt of a single award of at least £10,001 from ACNI since 1 April 2022 in order to be eligible for the scheme.

No minimum or maximum value of grant is specified. Organisations may apply for one year funding only.

Within the overall grant, funding is also available for successful applicants who can clearly demonstrate that additional costs such as sign language provision, translation and carers' costs are associated with the delivery of their project to relevant people as defined under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

New applicants must contact the relevant art form officer by 5pm on 9 December 2024, at the latest, to discuss a possible application.

The deadline for applications is 20 December 2024 (noon).

For more information, please visit Annual Funding Programme 2025/26 | Arts Council NI

Steel Charitable Trust Reopens for 2025 with New Funding Strategy

Following a review of their strategic policy in August 2024 and the decision to temporarily suspend new applications, Steel Charitable Trust has announced a new funding strategy which is expected to be in effect for the next five years.

From 2025, the Trust will now offer two funding streams:

• A new LUTON MATTERS Programme will focus on supporting projects in Luton that are broadly in line with Luton Council’s 2040 vision. Full details will be published in January 2025, and applications are expected to open in Spring 2025. 

• For the rest of the UK the Trust will support charities working with or on behalf of children and young people under 26, with an emphasis on creating educational and/or access opportunities for those in circumstances, groups, or locations that face economic challenges, social marginalisation or poor outcomes in later life.

Through the UK Under 26 Fund, project-restricted grants starting from £10,000 are available for not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of at least £50,000 in the previous financial year.

Applications for the UK Under 26 are taken and reviewed on a rolling basis. The trustees meet quarterly to consider applications.

The next deadline for applications is 15 January 2025 for consideration at the mid-March 2025 trustee meeting. 

For more information, please visit UNITED KINGDOM Under-26 Fund