Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Belfast Harbour Community Awards
Belfast Harbour has launched its 2026 Community Awards programme, offering a total of £110,000 to grassroots organisations across Belfast and beyond, through individual grants of up to £5,000 each. The Community Awards are a key part of the Trust Port’s overall Community Fund Programme which will see a record investment of £350,000 donated by Belfast Harbour to community and charity-based initiatives over the year. Projects that strengthen communities, champion the environment, develop employability and skills, and create opportunities for local people to thrive are encouraged. The opening of the second funding round follows the allocation of £50,000 of grants to 15 organisations through the first round of the 2026 programme. Applications close on Friday 25 September 2026.
NI Policing Board: Police Property Fund Grants Scheme
The Police Property Fund is made up of assets recovered by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as a result of criminal investigations. This is the fourth call for applications. The Board will award a total of £150,000 in small grants of between £1000 and £10,000 to eligible projects. Applications for funding will need to demonstrate that the project engages with local police, contributes to building community safety and/or confidence in the police in your area, and is aligned to a charitable purpose. The closing date for this call will be 12 October 2026, 12pm (noon).
The Awards offer rural community-based organisations in Northern Ireland or the border counties of Sligo, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and Louth, the opportunity to apply for and secure £1000 or €1000 towards their volunteer led community action project. Submit your application by the deadline of 20 September 2026 to deliver your project within 12 weeks of receiving an award.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council PCSP grants
Ending Violence Against Women and Girls is now open for 2026/27 funding for not-for-profit organisations. Change Funding, of up to £25,000 is offered through a 3 Tier grant approach to help mobilise grassroots action, support innovative delivery and maximise the impact of community-led initiatives. Momentum Funding is a one-time opportunity for the current financial year (2026/27) of a grant up to £4,000 with proposals from community/voluntary, sporting and faith-based organisations welcomed. Deadline 18 September 2026. Their Grand Choice participatory budgeting programme focuses on Lisburn North DEA offering Lisburn North, including Derriaghy, Harmony Hill, Hilden, Lambeg, Magheralave and Wallace Park groups a chance to secure up to £1000 to deliver community-based projects. Deadline for entries is 20 September 2026 to be followed by the Community Decision Event on in October.
Upcoming Deadlines
Idlewild Trust, an independent grant-making trust, awards grants of up to £7,000 to registered charities and UK publicly exempt charities. Themes supported are Arts - training opportunities for emerging professionals, working creatively and backstage, within the performing and visual arts and Conservation - the conservation of cultural heritage of national or international importance in museums, libraries, galleries and historic landscapes accessible to the public. In 2024, the Trust awarded 43 grants totalling £276,774; the average grant was £6,437. Next deadline 4 September 2026 at midday.
The BBC provides the opportunity for charities to have an appeal broadcast on BBC Radio 4 or BBC One Lifeline to audiences across the UK. These access appeals demonstrate the range of work charities do to benefit people and our planet, both in the UK and internationally. The BBC’s aim is to support a wide range of UK charities in raising much-needed funds and awareness of their work. Registered UK charities benefiting more than one devolved nation can apply by 4 September 2026, 23:59 for August-October 2027 transmission.
Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation Small grants
The Leeds Building Society Foundation supports those in need of a safe and secure home. They award grants to UK registered charities with a turnover of less than £500,000 who are addressing their funding priorities: Financial stress, Security and refuge, and Quality and suitability of housing. Applicants can also apply under the theme ‘Health and wellbeing support for those experiencing homelessness’ if it's part of wraparound support and the application also meets at least one of the other themes. You can apply for up to £2,500. Next deadline 7 September 2026.
St Andrews Prize for the Environment
The St Andrews Prize for the Environment is a major international initiative led by the University of St Andrews that recognises innovative solutions to the environmental crisis. This global competition seeks projects that have made a tangible impact in solving a major environmental challenge and that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and provide opportunities for learning and inspiration. The winner will receive prize money of $95,000 (US dollars) and the runners-up will receive $20,000 (US dollars). Entries for the 28th St Andrews Prize for the Environment will open on Tuesday 25 August 2026, at 12 noon UK time to Tuesday 15 September 2026.
Fundraising Events & Training 2026/27
Meet the Funder: easyfundraising
16 September 2026 - 6:00 to 7:00pm
FREE
If your community organisation needs additional funds, come along to this online session to find out how you can receive free unrestricted funding via funding platform easyfundraising. This session will be facilitated by Becky Coleman, Senior Community Manager at easyfundraising.
Supercharge Your Grant Applications: AI as a Time-Saving Tool for Funding Bids
22 September 2026 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Are you juggling multiple guidelines and spending more time translating funder language into something that supports your work? Following the success of the "Intro to AI" sessions, NICVA is partnering with CiviCode again to deliver a highly practical workshop designed for bid writers and fundraisers in the Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector.
6 October 2026 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Across the UK, £564 million is lost to missed Gift Aid opportunities every year — donations that could have gone further but didn’t. In a funding climate where costs are rising and demand is growing, encouraging your supporters to #TickTheBox can ensure their generosity reaches its full potential. Join Tony Clarke and Jocelyn Horton to find out more.
Strengthening your Funding Applications
10 February 2027 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
Securing funds through funding applications can be crucial to an organisation’s ability to deliver. But who are the funders, where can you find them, which ones should you select, and what do you need to consider before submitting your application?
Join Jocelyn Horton to find out how to strengthen your fundraising approach and applications to Trusts and Foundations.
Funding Fayre 2027 – Save the Date | NICVA
25 February 2027 - 10:00am to 1:00pm
NICVA’s ever-popular Funding Fayre is set to return in 2027. It’s a chance for voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland to gain the support you need.
Articles and Resources
Our Future Health, the UK's largest ever health research programme, is coming to Northern Ireland
Our Future Health is the UK's largest ever health research programme, recruiting up to 5 million people to take part. Our Future Health aims to help people live longer, healthier lives by supporting researchers to detect, treat and prevent diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and stroke. Learn about how you can get involved and receive funding.
Latest news from The National Lottery Community Fund (Northern Ireland)
The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in the UK. Each year they distribute millions of pounds of #NationalLottery good causes money to community groups and charitable projects around the country. We detail their series of virtual information sessions taking place through to December.
Earlier this year we asked charities and other voluntary led organisations in Northern Ireland to participate in the latest UK-wide banking survey carried out by Charity Finance Group (CFG). The report has now been published and is available to read at Charity Banking Report.
NICVA Conversation Zones Are Back for the Autumn Party Conference Season
We're delighted to announce that NICVA's Conversation Zones will return for this year's Autumn Party Conference season. The Conversation Zones are a chance for voluntary and community representatives to connect with elected representatives and raise the issues that are important to your organisation and the people and communities you work with and on behalf of.
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