Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker.
Funding News
Ulster Garden Villages: Grants for Charities
Ulster Garden Villages (UGV) supports a wide range of charities that make a positive difference, working in different sectors benefitting Northern Ireland. Their grants range from £750 to, in exception, £1,000,000, depending on the project, the proposed impact and each charity’s size and scope of work. Based on the current critical issues facing our communities, their current priorities are Poverty, Housing/homelessness, Health and Wellbeing, and Community Resilience and Cohesion. Expressions of Interest will be accepted between 2nd November 2026 and 30th November 2026.
Sunrise Moments Community Fund
Sunrise Medical have launched their Sunrise Moments Community Fund to help break down the financial and practical barriers that can prevent people living with mobility challenges from fully participating in their communities. Whether you're organising an inclusive event, supporting a local disability sports club, or taking on a personal challenge, the Community Fund provides up to £5,000 to help wheelchair users and disabled people enjoy greater independence, inclusion and opportunity to take part in things that matter to them. Complete the online application form by midnight on 30th September 2026.
Laughology: THE HAPPINESS FUND
The Fund supports grassroots community projects which improve mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, learning and skills development in local communities. Grassroots and community-based organisations that are non-profit and non-political with a focus on longevity and sustainability can apply for a one-off grant of up to £5,000. Applications open 07 September to 02 October 2026.
Vinehill Trust: Music, Heritage and Health grants
The Vinehill Trust makes grants to charitable, educational and ecclesiastical organisations across the United Kingdom in three areas of special interest. Music including projects children and young people that further the choral and/or organ traditions (apply at any time), Built heritage including projects that involve training in heritage craft skills (apply by 1 November for their autumn/Winter round), and Health projects that address acute conditions, plus temporary focus areas that change each year. The temporary focus for the 2027 Health grants is rehabilitation or aftercare for physical trauma or surgery, promotion of wellbeing through the creation or enhancement of green spaces, and oral and dental health outreach. They typically award one-off grants of £10,000-£100,000.
Upcoming Deadlines
This is a new fund open to LGBT+ organisations/groups based in the UK with a yearly income of £10,000 or less that have been in operation for a minimum of 1 year. £28,093 will be awarded to low income LGBT+ organisations and groups across the UK. Grants of between £500 and £2,000 towards building capacity, resilience, skills and sustainability including training, expert support, leadership development, wellbeing and burnout-prevention support or IT equipment. The fund closes to applications on 09 September at 12noon.
Henry Smith Foundation: Career Ready Fund
Charitable organisations registered in and working in the UK, including Registered charities and CIOs, CICs that are not-for-profit with an asset lock, and other not for profit charitable organisations who can send job coaches into schools can apply for £200,000 (£50,000 per year) over 4 years. Applicant annual income must be below £3 million. The deadline to submit your EOI is 2 September 2026 at 5pm.
Henry Smith Foundation: Welcome for Newcomers fund
This new scheme supports registered charities and partnerships with a track record in supporting newcomers to the UK including refugees, people seeking asylum and other migrants including people with no recourse to public funds. Grants of £200,000 over three years for activity within the UK. The deadline to submit your EOI is 26 August 2026, 5pm.
Arts & Business NI Investment Programme
The Arts & Business NI Investment Programme is a competitive match-fund, which supports partnerships between arts organisations and commercial businesses in Northern Ireland. All applications must be new or existing partnerships between an arts/cultural organisation and a business in Northern Ireland. Open to both A&BNI members and non-members, investment from this programme should allow the partnership to develop, undertake additional activity or push the project to another level. They can award up to £15,000 match-funding to the lead arts partner in a financial year. Submit applications by 28 August 2026 for the next round.
Fundraising Events & Training
Fundraising Training and Events Calendar for 2026/27
We’ve summarised the upcoming Fundraising Training and Events Calendar including next year’s Funding Fayre. Click the link above to find out more.
We introduce our NICVA Academy Prospectus 2026. At NICVA Academy, we believe learning has the power to strengthen organisations, develop confident leaders, and support thriving communities. Training is created with and for the voluntary and community sector offering open training sessions, bespoke organisational learning, accredited qualifications, peer learning opportunities, and practical resources and more. Click to find out more.
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.
Exploring an Inclusive Future: Learning from the EDI Engagement Hub at NICVA SUMMIT 2026
On 10 June 2026, the EDI Stakeholder Group and Include Youth hosted an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Engagement Hub at NICVA's SUMMIT. The session brought together people from across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to explore what a truly inclusive future could look like—and what steps we need to take to make it a reality.
The discussion took place against the backdrop of racist violence and unrest that had affected communities the previous evening. Read NICVA’s response here.
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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