Your weekly roundup of funding news and deadlines from GrantTracker
Funding News
British Council: Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennales and Festivals Grants
The British Council invites biennales and festivals to apply for the 2025–26 Architecture, Design & Fashion Biennales and Festivals Grants to showcase UK and international designers. You can apply for grants of up to £10,000 to facilitate showcasing, exhibition building, travel, presentation of completed design work, networking and skills building. All projects must foster collaboration between UK-based and international designers, ensuring at least one party (designer or festival) is UK-based. Deadline: 1 June 2025, 23:59 BST
Innovate UK: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 2025-2026 Round 2
Each Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a partnership between a UK knowledge base (HE or FE education institution, RTO or Catapult) and a UK registered business, eligible public sector organisation, social enterprise, co-operative, charity or charitable business. Knowledge base applicants can apply for a share of up to £9 million to fund innovation projects. Total eligible project costs are typically £8,500 per month. Next deadline 11am on 11 June 2025.
Home Office: Community Engagement Fund 2025/2026
The Community Engagement Fund (CEF) is a £150,000 grant fund to support grassroots and community organisations to engage communities and raise awareness of priority Home Office policy areas and the support available. Some nationality groups, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and India, despite possibly having been impacted, may not be coming forward for compensation to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. The fund is looking to understand what barriers exist for non-Caribbean communities and encourage eligible applications. Closes 28 May 2025, 4:00pm.
The Three Guineas Trust: Access to legal advice for disabled people
The Three Guineas Trust is a grantmaking trust that currently funds work to support the autonomy, liberty and civil rights of autistic, neurodivergent and disabled people. The Access to legal advice for disabled people programme aims to increase access for Disabled or neurodivergent people to advice and advocacy towards benefits and debt, housing and homelessness, community care, personal liberty and equal access to goods and services. Open to not-for-profit organisations, they can award a maximum annual grant of £50,000 a year for up to 3 years’ funding. Now open until 12 June 2025, 6pm.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Community Facilities Fund
The Community Facilities Fund (CFF) is a grant funding programme designed to support projects that enhance existing community facilities, aiming to increase accessibility, social cohesion, engagement opportunities and participation. The fund has three distinct strands, providing targeted support for different types of community improvements including for buildings, events and sports pitches:
- Community Facility: repairs, upgrades & capital works (max available per application £15,000 and you are not eligible to apply if you received this element of the grant in 2023/24 or 2024/25
- Event infrastructure: for community events (max available per application £8,000)
- Sports Pitches: development and maintenance (max available per application £20,000)
Separate applications MUST be completed for each strand. Applicants are only eligible to submit a maximum of 2 applications across the three strands. Deadline 8 May 2025.
Upcoming Deadlines
LFT Charitable Trust: Enriching Lives
Applications for grants of up to £7,000 are welcomed from youth organisations with strong community networks and experience in delivering community service. LFT Charitable Trust, a Belfast based family foundation, aims to support programmes and initiatives which bring different generations together to engage in meaningful, mutually beneficial activities which encourage greater understanding and respect and contribute to greater community connectedness and cohesion. As such, the intention is for sustained engagement between the same participants over a period of time, facilitating the development of relationships rather than one off events. Projects must involve both young people (aged 14-25 years) and older people (65+ years). Deadline midday on 29 April 2025.
Community Foundation for NI: 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.
Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation
The Charitable Foundation has identified two focus areas through which it aims to drive social impact - Helping people experiencing hardship and/or underserved groups to by support to access a place to call home and/or and improve financial wellbeing. The trustees will select charities based on their alignment with one or both focus areas. The Foundation has committed to fund UK registered charities up to a maximum of £10,000. Next deadline 5pm, 1 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.
James Brown & Sons Community Fund
James Brown & Sons has been committed to serving the people of greater Belfast since 1904. With support from parent company, Funeral Partners, they have established the James Brown & Sons Community Fund to help fund good causes provided by local charities and not-for profit organisations working for the benefit of people who live within two miles of an area in which James Brown & Sons operate. Organisations can request the total cost of the project or a contribution towards the project up to a maximum of £2000. Next deadline 4 May 2025.
Events of Interest
4 June 2025 - 10:00am to 12:15pm
£55 NICVA members, £80 non-members
An online training session specifically designed for staff or volunteers who work in the administration of finance within a charity. This session will give participants an opportunity to delve a bit deeper into the more technical aspects of charity finance.
12 June 2025 - 12:00 to 1:00pm
FREE
Online information session about the new Code of Fundraising Practice delivered by The Fundraising Regulator (FR). The Fundraising Regulator will soon publish its new Code of Fundraising Practice. The new code, which has been shaped by extensive public consultation, represents a clearer, more flexible, and modern approach to fundraising regulation. This session will provide an opportunity for charities, fundraisers, volunteers and Trustees to find out more about the new code and the support available ahead of its implementation later this year.
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.
Funding February - thanks to our many contributors for helping us to curate this collection of articles and resources.
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