Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Cash for Kids: Mission Christmas
Mission Christmas offer gifts or gift vouchers for children living in poverty at Christmas. Applications can be made on behalf of children from a recognised referral source such as professionals within a governing body (e.g., social services, GP, teacher etc.), from a registered charity or community organisation with a formal constitution / governance document and safe-guarding policy, and CICs. The supported children (aged 0 up to and including 18 years old) will be at risk of waking up to no presents on Christmas morning.
Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS): UK City of Culture 2029
The UK City of Culture competition has opened for places across the UK to bid for the 2029 title. The programme aims to support culture-led transformation, using cultural activities to drive economic growth, strengthen communities, create jobs and enhance pride of place. It is open to larger towns, cities, regions and groups of places that wish to bid for the title. The Expression of Interest (EOI) phase is now open until 23:59 on Sunday 11 January 2026. DCMS will award bid development grants of £60,000 to each of the (up to) eight longlisted places which are invited to submit a full application. You need to outline in your EOI how you would spend this £60,000 grant.
Rosa: Voices from the Front Line
Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline fund, now in its eighth year of running, offers grants of up to £10,000 over 18 months to women’s and girls’ organisations to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change. The work funded should strengthen your organisation's skills and experience in campaigning, activism and/or advocacy and influence power holders in the UK such as local communities, government, service providers and corporates. Submit your online application and 3-minute video by 4pm on Tuesday 9th December 2025.
Hospital Saturday Fund for 2026
The Hospital Saturday Fund, a registered charity, aims are to provide assistance for registered health charities, hospices, medical organisations and individuals with a medical condition or disability. They can provide grants for medical projects, care, research or support of medical training within the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Standard grants of up to £2,000 or €3,000 OR Large grants of up to £10,000 or €13,500 (maximum grant). The 2026 deadlines now available. Submit applications by close of business for Large grants 9 December 2025 and Standard grants 6 January 2026.
Ards & North Down Borough Council: Multi Annual Arts Grants 2026-2028
Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Multi-Annual Arts Grant is offered every two years and supports non-profit arts organisations within the borough in creating programmes which benefit local residents. A maximum grant of £5,000 per annum is available. Applications open from 17 November until 12pm(noon) on 12 January 2026.
Upcoming Deadlines
EastSide Early Learning Community: Innovation Fund 2025
This opportunity is designed to support projects working to address or remove health inequities within communities and build on the previous work of the EastSide Early Learning Community. Project ideas will focus on strengthening the foundations and the early years system for children 0-5 year olds and/or their parents/caregivers living in East Belfast. Each successful project will receive £5,000 to develop and deliver their idea. Projects are to be delivered between January and December 2026. EOI deadline 4pm, 11 November 2025.
Community Relations Council (CRC) Core Funding
The Northern Ireland Community Relations Council's Core Funding Scheme provides support for organisations which are considered of strategic importance in promoting community relations work across the region. The scheme contributes towards salary and organisational running costs. The amount awarded per organisation normally ranges between £20,000 and £80,000 per annum. Deadline Wednesday 12 November 2025 at 4pm.
Cornavarrow and Slieveglass Wind Farms Community Benefit Fund
Energia Renewable's Cornavarrow and Slieveglass Wind Farms Community Benefit Fund is administered by the Fermanagh Trust. Grants will be available to community projects located within 5km of Cornavarrow Wind Farm, which covers Drumquin or 5km of the Slieveglass Wind Farm, which covers Killen. Revenue small grants programme offers grants up to a maximum of £4,000. Strategic Projects provides up to a maximum of £5000 pa over 1-3 year period, and for the Cornavarrow Wind Farm only - Strategic Capital Legacy Projects grant aid up to £25,000 per annum, over a five year period or equivalent amount over a longer period. Deadline 12 noon on 13 November 2025.
Ironmongers Foundation support for registered UK charities
The Ironmongers’ Company wishes to support projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people under the age of 25 to fulfil their potential. Grants range from £3,000 up to around £10,000. They are looking for projects that deliver clearly defined educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people. Projects could, for example, support special educational needs, or foster social, emotional or life skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience. Grants range from £3,000 up to around £10,000. Next deadline 5pm, 18 November 2025.
The Rural Action Awards for 2025/2026 offer rural community-based organisations in Northern Ireland or the border region of Ireland the opportunity to apply for and secure £1000 or €1000 towards their volunteer led community action project. Eligible groups include constituted organisations, charities, not for profit community groups, sporting and cultural organisations, heritage groups, Parent Teacher Associations, youth groups/clubs and social enterprises. The scheme seeks to support practical, tangible and timebound projects where the project must complete within 12 weeks. Deadline 20 November 2025. .
Fundraising Support, Events & Training
***Save the Date – Funding Fayre 2026
Taking place on Thursday 26 February 2026, our annual Funding Fayre is the celebratory end to a month-long theme of funding webinars, how-to guides, articles and more. Listening to your feedback, the Fayre will return to registered attendees dropping in in two cohorts, so it won’t be as crowded and noisy as 2025! In 2026, we revisit Digital Fundraising, last featured by NICVA in 2021, with a range of sessions and resources designed to support online giving and communications. Stay tuned for more details.
Latest Articles
Fundraising news and opportunities you may have missed
Jocelyn Horton, Fundraising Advice Officer, rounds up some of the key news you may have missed in October. Included is a chance to add your voice to the Department for Economy NI’s latest consultation, opportunities to enhance your fundraising, receive pro bono support worth thousands, and become a Charity of the Year. Also highlighted are important updates from funders, a simple, ethical way to find unwanted goods from businesses, and publications about grantmakers including for Trustees Week 3-7 November 2025, insights into who are the Trustees behind grantmaking trusts and foundations.
New procurement guidelines to cut bureaucracy and save money announced
Finance Minister John O’Dowd has announced updated guidelines to simplify arrangements for grant recipients.
BBC Children in Need update to pause in grantmaking
BBC Children in Need announced they were to pause applications to their grants programmes while they transitioned to a new grantmaking system. Initially planned to launch their new system by the end of September, it will now launch by the end of October 2025 along with changes to policies affecting who can apply to BBC Children in Need.
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