Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
National Churches Trust - Treasure Ireland: Winter Ready Grants
The Winter Ready Small Grants Programme has been created by the National Churches Trust, with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to help churches in Northern Ireland prepare their buildings for the winter months. Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available to cover the cost of essential maintenance that will help keep churches safe, open, warm, and weather-resilient over winter. Open to church buildings in Northern Ireland regularly used for worship by a Christian denomination work can include clearing gutters and drains, repairs to roofs, downpipes or flashing, draught-proofing, repairs to broken windows/external doors, and other small-scale, urgent maintenance that reduces the risk of cold, damp or weather damage. This is a time limited, one-off opportunity, to support work that will complete within eight weeks of an award being made. Deadline: 30 November 2025.
Education Authority NI’s funding for Voluntary Youth Organisations now open
Youth organisations can apply for funding across a number of opportunities including Local Area Based, Regional Project, Regional Development and Regional Strategic funding. All regional and local youth organisations who are registered with the EA Youth Service are eligible to apply to a range of funding opportunities to support costs related to staff salaries, programme development and overheads. Deadline 28 November 2025 at 4pm.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Financial Assistance 2026-2027
The Council operates a number of grants and financial assistance programmes to contribute towards community projects. Programmes opening 17 November 2025 at 12 noon include Suicide prevention and emotional wellbeing, Tourism Events, Community Events & Festivals, Community Growing ‘Lets Grow NMD’, Sports Programmes, Arts and culture, Community Engagement, PCSP, Good Relations, Minority communities Fund, Irish Language, Community Summer Schemes and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG). Closing 12 January 2025 at 12 noon. They are hosting information workshops, booked via TicketSource. Click link for further details www.ticketsource.co.uk/nmddc-call1-grantsandfunding-2026-2027.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: Small Woodland Grant Scheme
The Small Woodland Grant Scheme will support woodland creation on agricultural land and non-agricultural land. Grants are available for landowners, including All farmers, Landowners and estate owners, Charitable organisations, and Local Councils (Establishment Grant Only). The Scheme is now open for applications and will close on 7th January 2026 at 6pm.
Wolfson Foundation capital funding
The Foundation provides capital funding for a wide range of thematic areas and support excellence in the fields of education, science & medicine, health & disability, and heritage, humanities & the arts. Their funding for places grants range from £15,000 up to £1million dependent on category. Two rounds annually. Round 1 opens for Stage 1 applications on 20 November at 00.01 hours.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Henry Smith Foundation: Holiday Grants for Children
The Holiday Grants Programme offers one-off grants for schools, youth groups and non-profit organisations to take children aged 13 and under on recreational day trips or short residential trips. They prioritise groups supporting disabled children and those with limited access to funds to go on holiday. In 2024, 60% of grants went to organisations working in the UK’s most deprived areas. Grant amount: £500 – £2,750 per trip. For trips 1 September – 31 December 2025, apply from 22 July 2025 until 19 November 2025.
Belfast City Council: Winter Festivities 2025
This funding is open to organisations delivering winter festivities in local communities in each part of Belfast between 26 November and 24 December 2025. The maximum award available for this programme is £17,000 in each quadrant of the city: north, south, east and west. Due to the limited amount of funding available, only one organisation or programme will be supported in each quadrant. Collaborative bids, with one lead partner in a particular area, are welcome to apply. Request an Expressions of Interest form from the Good Relations Unit by emailing [email protected] , include EOI Winter Festivities 2025 as your subject line, and submit form by 19 November 2025 at 4pm.
Open Business Creators Fund for Women in Business
Women across the UK with new or early-stage business ideas can apply for support through the Open Business Creators Fund for Women in Business. The initiative aims to help participants develop their business concepts and access knowledge, resources and professional networks to advance their ventures. They will award individual grants of up to £2,500 to women and trans women in both commercial and social enterprise categories. Participants are eligible to apply for funding if they reside in the UK and are over 16 on 21/11/2025. Existing businesses must have been registered for less than one year on 21/11/2025. Deadline for applications is 21 November 2025 (23:59).
The Airbnb Best of British Fund will support initiatives across England, Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland that promote the visitor experience, support local economies and the UK a destination of choice for visitors. The £1 million Fund welcomes applications from recognised groups or organisations, including small businesses, social enterprises, community groups and cultural and heritage groups with eligible UK-based projects falling into one of these categories: Nature & Outdoors, Food & Dining, Music & Arts, and Culture & Heritage. Successful applicants can receive grants ranging from up to £25,000 to £100,000 to help their community attract visitors and create memorable experiences. Deadline 23:59 on 23 November 2025.
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. The funder is keen to receive applications from Northern Ireland. Submit your online application and 3-minute video by 4pm on Tuesday 9th December 2025..
Events & Training
NICVA Unveils Second Phase of Engaging and Retaining Talent Programme
NICVA is moving into Phase Two of our Engaging and Retaining Talent Programme, continuing our work to help voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland build stronger, more confident workforces. With continued support from the Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, this next phase keeps the practical focus that worked in Phase One while opening access to more organisations across the sector. Registration links for each event are available in the article including the new online edition session: Engaging and Retaining Talent Programme - Special Online Session: Enabling Positive Change 19 November 2025 - 10:30am to 12:30pm.
An Audience with Darren McGarvey and Festive AGM
5 December 2025 - 10:00am to 2:00pm
Join NICVA for our Christmas Celebration and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event will offer opportunities for networking, reflection, and inspiration – a chance for members to come together, celebrate our collective achievements, explore our new strategy, and hear from our powerful keynote speaker, Darren McGarvey.
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.
Get ahead with GrantTracker and access over 1000 funding schemes in NI's leading database. Just £115 a year for NICVA members and £165 for non-members. Sign up here.