The National Lottery Community Fund

National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland

Apply for £300 to £20,000 to fund projects in Northern Ireland that connect people and strengthen communities. Grants last up to 2 years.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £300 – £20,000
Deadline: Not published; no closing date given
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Constituted voluntary or community organisations, constituted groups or clubs, registered charities, not-for-profit companies, CICs limited by guarantee or by shares (share-limited CICs must follow the CIC Regulator's guidance on sharing profits), schools (only if the project mainly benefits the wider community, not just pupils, teachers or parents), and statutory bodies such as councils or health trusts only if the project is not a statutory responsibility
There is no income limit, but organisations with lower incomes are prioritised and recent grant history is considered
Applicants must have at least 2 unrelated board or committee members; companies, including charitable companies, must have at least 2 unrelated directors
The application needs two different people (a main contact and a board/committee member or director as senior contact), both living in the UK, each with their own email address
The funder's general requirements also include a governing document, a UK bank account in the organisation's legal name managed by at least two unrelated people, and yearly accounts (organisations under 15 months old can still apply)
You cannot apply while you hold an unfinished grant from this programme or are awaiting a decision on another application to it
Projects must take place in Northern Ireland

What it funds

Projects that do at least one of:

Bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
Improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
Help people reach their potential by offering support at an early stage
Support people, communities or organisations facing challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis

Environmental projects that improve the local environment, help people connect with nature or adapt to climate change are welcome.

Costs must be directly related to the project and can include project running costs, project activity costs, equipment, one-off events, staff costs, training and facilitator costs, transport, utilities, volunteer expenses and small land or refurbishment projects.

Some non-party-political campaigning can be funded.

What it will not fund

Costs you have already paid for
Alcohol
Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
Paying someone else to write your application
Profit-making or fundraising activities
VAT you can reclaim
Religious activities (religious organisations can be funded if the project benefits the wider community and has no religious content)
Statutory services or activities
Overseas travel, or projects that take place outside the UK
Activities that make a private profit
Giving cash directly to individuals
Projects where political activities are the main purpose, or party-political activity
School curriculum activities, anything that should happen during the school day, improvements to school buildings, grounds or equipment, school staff training, school trips, after-school clubs or alternative learning environments
Applications from individuals, sole traders, for-profit companies (including companies limited by shares), organisations based outside the UK, or organisations applying on behalf of another organisation
Applications written for you by private businesses or consultants
Projects that focus on engaging people in sports, arts or heritage activities, or sports, arts or heritage equipment and facilities
Pre-school provision funded by government, and pre pre-school provision that receives statutory funding
Applications from organisations with an unfinished Awards for All Northern Ireland grant, or waiting for a decision on another application to this programme
Applying to more than one of the funder's programmes for the same project
Match funding for a project already funded through another of the funder's programmes
Organisations that have received £20,000 in total from Awards for All Northern Ireland in the last 12 months

How to apply

Read the National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland guidance pages (who can apply, who cannot apply, what we need to know, what you can spend the money on) and check your organisation and project are eligible
Involve your community in shaping the project (for example surveys, meetings or talking to local organisations), as the form asks how the community is involved
Optionally review the complete list of application questions on the funder's preview page
Create or sign in to an account on the funder's online application portal and complete the online form (you can save and return); it covers the project, costs by category, organisation details, a senior contact and a main contact, bank details and EDI monitoring
Upload a bank statement dated within the last 3 months, agree to the terms and conditions and submit, at least 12 weeks before you need the funding
The funder reviews the application and may contact you to discuss it; a decision is given within about 12 weeks
If successful you are emailed and the grant is paid into your account within 14 days; you can start the project once you receive the award email

Do not start the project or spend money before approval; costs already paid for are not funded.

If you cannot use the online form, Easy Read, PDF and British Sign Language versions of the form and guidance are available on request.

Contact the Northern Ireland team on enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or 028 9055 1455 with questions.

Have ready

Bank statement dated within the last 3 months, in the organisation's legal name, showing the address it is sent to, the bank's name and logo, account number and sort code and the date range (a bank welcome letter is accepted for accounts opened in the last 3 months, or a transaction listing with the same details)

Nothing else is uploaded, but you need a governing document, a safeguarding policy if working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, your financial year end and latest annual income, and names, home addresses, dates of birth and separate email addresses for two unrelated contacts (a senior contact who is a board/committee member or director, and a main contact), both living in the UK, for identity checks. If you do not own land or a building you are working on, you need a lease of five years or more (or a letter promising one) and the owner's written permission.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.