Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity
Applications now open for the National Lottery Community Fund for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VSCE) organisations in Northern Ireland.
Focus Areas
- You should focus on what will strengthen your organisation the most. For example, you could improve:
- confidence and skills in using digital technology
- how you track and measure your impact
- financial skills and management
- governance and leadership skills
- volunteer management and support.
Funding Information
- Total available: £4 million
- They offer funding from £300 to £20,000.
- And can support your project for up to 2 years.
Eligible Costs
- equipment
- training costs
- volunteer expenses
- professional support (like using a consultant or freelancer).
Ineligible Costs
- staff salaries
- capital costs (buying land, buildings, vehicles or paying for refurbishments)
- projects you’ve already been funded for. They’ll fund new projects or work that builds on an existing project.
- projects that focus on reducing your energy costs
- your organisation’s running costs
- retrospective costs (costs for things that have already happened, or you’ve already paid for)
- alcohol
- contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
- paying someone else to write your application for you
- VAT you can reclaim
- religious activities
- statutory activities
- overseas travel
- projects that take place outside of the UK
- activities that make profits for private gain.
Eligibility Criteria
- To apply you must be a constituted voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation.
- You must also be a:
- unregistered voluntary or community organisation
- An organisation set up with a governing document – like a constitution. But is not a registered charity or company.
- not-for-profit company
- A company limited by guarantee – registered with Companies House. And might also be registered as a charity.
- registered charity (unincorporated)
- A voluntary or community organisation that’s a registered charity. But is not a company registered with Companies House.
- Community Interest Company (CIC).
- A company registered with Companies House. And the Community Interest Company (CIC) Regulator.
- You need at least 2 board or committee members who are not related
- related by marriage
- in a civil partnership with each other
- in a long-term relationship with each other
- related through a long-term partner
- living together at the same address
- related by blood.
- unregistered voluntary or community organisation
Ineligibility Criteria
- They cannot accept applications from:
- organisations that have been operating for less than 2 years
- organisations that have already received funding from Dormant Assets for All
- individuals
- sole traders
- religious institutions like churches, synagogues and mosques (although faith-based community groups are eligible to apply)
- organisations based outside Northern Ireland
- companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including Companies Limited by Shares)
- statutory organisations
- schools
- one organisation applying on behalf of another.
For more information, visit Dormant Assets NI.
