Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Home Instead Charities: Grants Programme
Money raised from their dedicated network of Home Instead Offices and external supporters, fund groups who support the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of ageing adults. Small grass roots organisations can apply for up to £500; small local registered charities can apply for up to £1,500. Projects must support its members through programmes that support wellbeing or reduce social isolation and/or loneliness, e.g. regular events and activities such as weekly cinema club, weekly knit and natter, lunch clubs, one-off day trips, yoga, guest speakers, etc. Applications open four a year: January; April; July and October.
The Animal Defence Trust Grants
The Animal Defence Trust makes grants to approved charities working in animal welfare in the United Kingdom and occasionally elsewhere. Grants are available to animal charities who care for animals which have undergone suffering and cruelty before rescue. Eligible organisations must be registered charities with a proven track record in animal welfare work. Grants are for capital projects and running costs aiming to support a wide range of activities, including providing shelter, medical treatment, and care for abused or neglected animals. The Trust's website provides no information on the minimum or maximum grants available.
- Circle of Change Fund - The Circle of Change is a group of people from all backgrounds across Northern Ireland who discuss and share learning about the root causes of issues and decide where to distribute funding. For 2025 funding will be directed towards people impacted by poor mental health and challenging racism in Northern Ireland. Open to organisations in the Greater Belfast area with priority to projects in North Belfast. Grants available up to £5,000. Deadline 1pm on 30 April 2025.
- The Ultach Fund was established with capital from The Iontaobhas Ultach Trust. It exists to support the work of communities across Northern Ireland who wish to use and promote the Irish language, through the work of registered charities, voluntary and community groups. Grants up to £4,000. Applications accepted until 1pm on 2 May 2025.
Belfast City Council: Bank of Ideas
Bank of Ideas 2025 is a celebration of creativity for Belfast with a programme full of creative events, projects and initiatives for everyone to get involved. Through the Bank of Ideas, your idea could become part of the programme of events with up to £2000 to support. Open to ideas for North, South, East, West Belfast and the city centre or citywide projects. This is a participatory budgeting programme where residents vote to decide where and to whom funding goes. Application deadline 5pm on 14 May 2025.
Goldsmiths' Foundation: Inaugural Grants Programme
The Goldsmiths’ Foundation supports organisations that focus on vocational skills and training, working at the intersection of creativity and social change. For this inaugural grant funding round, they are funding organisations working in the following areas: Craft, Design, Art, and Architecture. The programme is open to UK registered charities, exempt charities, and CIOs. You can apply for a Regular Grant of between £30,000 - £50,000. Grants tend to fall into one of two areas: Operating/core costs or Projects/specific activities. Deadline 10am on 5 May 2025.
Upcoming Deadlines
The King’s Fund: All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme
The All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme supports those working in the construction sector in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to push their skills to the next level and continue on their journey to becoming the next generation of master craftspeople. This is a full-time, 12-month course which gives practical experience in heritage building skills and the opportunity to work towards a Level 3 NVQ in Heritage Skills. The Programme runs from 13 July 2025 to 3 July 2026 at various locations in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. It is geared towards those with experience in craft areas such as: stonemasonry, carpentry and joinery, bricklaying, blacksmithing, plastering, thatching, roofing, and tiling, painting, and decorating, etc. All participants will be awarded a full scholarship covering the course fees, as well as being provided with a monthly bursary of £1,400 or €1,600. Deadline 5pm on 11 April 2025.
The Trust specialises in creating opportunities and supporting disabled people who want to play tennis. The Trust provide specialist wheelchairs for individuals, clubs, special schools and centres running disability programmes and also provide equipment/coaching kit-bags for coaches, clubs, special schools, disability groups and associations. The Trust supports people with all disabilities, (e.g. physical impairment, deaf, learning disability, visually impaired etc). Maximum grant per application is £1,600 for a group, club or project and £600 for an individual. Next deadline 13 April 2025.
Ulster Scots Agency: Summer Schools Funding
The Ulster-Scots Summer Schools Grant aims to support community and voluntary groups who wish to deliver a five-day Ulster-Scots Summer School to children aged 7-16 years. There are two options available for support: 1) Standard Summer Schools – these provide up to 10 different Ulster-Scots workshops and activities - maximum eligible funding of two hours for each Ulster-Scots activity, with a maximum of 20 hours of activity. Or 2) Drama Summer Schools where drama tutors may be funded to deliver a week-long programme, culminating in a drama production. Groups may also provide a maximum of five Ulster-Scots workshops and activities. Groups can receive up to 75% of eligible costs. Interested applicants need to register here. Summer Schools must be delivered from 1 July to 31 August 2025. Deadline 3pm on 14 April 2025.
BBC Children in Need are transitioning to a new grantmaking system which will launch by the end of September 2025. As a result, there will be some disruption to their programmes: Project Costs, Core Costs, and Pudsey Next Steps Spring 2025 In Northern Ireland, the Pudsey Next Steps programme welcomes applications from organisations working with racially minoritised children and young people outside of the Belfast area . They are accepting Expressions of Interest for all three programmes submitted by 15 April 2025.
DAERA: Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs NI Regional Food Programme aims to raise the profile of quality regional food and increase its consumption within Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. For 2025-26 they will fund projects under three categories of support: Regional Fairs/Exhibitions, Seminars/Workshops, and Information Programmes. Open to formally constituted not for profit groups, registered Charities and not for profit regional development agencies. All must an NI membership/remit and plan to deliver projects that raise the profile of NI regional food products. Joint applications permissible. New projects will be supported at a more favourable rate than those that have received support through a past NIRFP programme, unless the latter can demonstrate additional development. Funding range: up to £10,000, £10,000 to £50,000 and over £50,000. Deadline 4pm on 16 April 2025.
Latest Articles of Interest
Celia Currie, Stakeholder & Policy Manager-Northern Ireland for the Fundraising Regulator shares a few key takeaways from this year’s report
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced a £1500 support payment for Voluntary and Community organisations funded through his department’s Voluntary & Community Division and Community Empowerment Division.
As we approach the new financial year, it's crucial for employers and employees in Northern Ireland to be aware of the forthcoming adjustments to statutory rates effective from 1 April 2025. These changes will impact various statutory payments, including sick pay, maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental pay.
Are you a social entrepreneur based in Northern Ireland? Are you looking to scale-up your work? Do you focus on financial inclusion? UnLtd are keen to hear from young people (aged 16-30) wanting to make their communities fairer places to live.
Funding February - thanks to our many contributors for helping us to curate this collection of articles and resources.
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