Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
International Fund for Ireland: Crossing the Threshold
Applications for funding under their new ‘Crossing the Threshold’ strategy are now open. They are offering support ranging from £30,000 to £150,000/ €35,000 to €170,000. The IFI wants to work with projects that challenge division and contribute to economic and social advancement in areas experiencing disadvantage or legacy impacts of conflict and sustained barriers of division. Creative and innovative approaches to peacebuilding through sports, arts and culture are also welcome alongside those who wouldn’t traditionally consider themselves as peacebuilders. Deadline 6 July 2026, 12noon.
British Council: Connections Through Culture Grants
Connections Through Culture (CTC) grants are designed to enable meaningful partnerships, cross-cultural exchange and long-term collaboration between the UK and participating countries. Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are available to support creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, organisations, festivals, biennials, hubs and collectives to develop and deliver projects across a range of themes and art forms. Deadline 23:59 12 August 2026.
Erasmus+ for the UK - how to access life-changing opportunities
The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) have agreed for the UK to associate to the Erasmus+ programme from 2027. From November 2026, Erasmus+ opens new opportunities for UK individuals and organisations working in education, training, youth and sport.
Freelands Foundation Funding programmes
Their next open call opportunity - Learning through Making Fund is now open with a September deadline. The Fund will provide small grants of up to £25,000 for visual art education projects that creatively engage audiences with the process of making and exploration of materials. They welcome action-research projects that enable learning through exploration and testing – they do not need to have fully defined outcomes. Registered charities, galleries and museums, CICs, and other organisations with charitable purposes run for public benefit are welcome to propose projects of any length that 1 January and 31 December 2027.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Theatres Trust: UK Theatres Small Grants Programme
Theatres Trust's Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, funds small projects that make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability, accessibility, or diversity. This scheme provides grants of up to £7,500 for essential works to enable not-for-profit theatres across the UK to be viable and thrive in the future. Deadline: 12pm on Friday 26 June 2026.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Funding for Community Facilities
The Community Facilities Fund (CFF) supports projects that enhance existing community facilities, aiming to increase accessibility, social cohesion, engagement opportunities and participation. Up to £15,000 available. The DIY & Technical Assistance Community Fund enables local groups to refresh, refurbish or make general improvements to existing community facilities and/or commission professional/technical assistance to explore the potential of expansion and/or upgrades to facilities. Deadline for both funds is 12noon on 30 June 2026.
Funded by an annual donation of €1 million from ISPO, the world’s leading sports and outdoor trade fair, the ISPO Impact Foundation will channel support to charities and non-profits through two categories: nature conservation & environmental stewardship (regeneration) and active participation & inclusive access (participation). Funding from €2000 for grassroots organisations up to €100 000 for those with the potential for significant, large-scale impact. Next deadline 30 June 2026 at 12noon.
Live Here Love Here: Small Grants Scheme 2026/27
Live Here Love Here Small Grants support community-led projects that enhance the local environment, build civic pride, and bring people together. Grants of £500–£3,000 are available to support environmental improvement projects that make a positive difference in the wider community. Deadline 30 June 2026.
Fundraising Articles and Resources
Guest Blog: Prizefunder - a Collaborative Approach to Strengthen Grassroots Funding
Lawrence O’Kane, founder and CEO of Prizefunder explains how this Northern Ireland community fundraising platform could help communities to work together, raise funds, strengthen local services and build lasting support for the causes they care about.
New £3m Fund to help communities shape the future of AI
The National Lottery Community Fund in partnership with UK Community Foundations and Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST) has announced a new £3 million funding programme which will track AI’s real-world impacts at a local community level across the UK, and fund ground-breaking community-led AI tools.
Queen Elizabeth Trust launched to strengthen communities across the United Kingdom
A new UK-wide independent charity, the Queen Elizabeth Trust, has been established on the occasion of the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth to honour her lifelong commitment to public service.
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