Gold Rush to the Klondyke

The 2008/09 budget will have to support some on-going projects as well as new applications. Competition for funding is therefore expected to be high. In our consideration of applications which stretch over more than one financial year, we will be mindful of the need to reserve adequate funding levels for future years.

We recommend that you consider the guidance notes, and associated documents, carefully in planning any applications.

To ensure better co-ordination of education grants you are required to send an outline of your project to the Environmental Education Forum (EEF) for their comment and suggestions. This applies to any structured education programme focussed on young people (up to 25 years old) and further details will be provided in the grant package.

Due to the growing demand for support funding and the high standard of applications that we have been receiving we will assess all large applications (seeking more than £10,000) competitively.

The closing dates for all applications are as follows:

• All applications except Education: 4pm Wednesday 5 September 2007
• Education Grants: To EEF - 4pm Friday 10 August 2007 and to EHS - 4 pm Wednesday 26 September 2007.
• Grant bids up to £10,000: The normal small grants programme will be closed to applications between August 2007 and January 2008. Any applications submitted under £10,000 will be assessed at the same time as the grants over £10,000.

Please bear in mind that the grants team is small and will have a considerable workload to complete between September and November. To assist them you are asked to do the following:

• Submit applications as early as you can before the closing date to assist the team to initiate assessments sooner.
• Provide any additional information or answer any queries as quickly as possible.
• If seeking ongoing funding ensure that all reports for any previous project are submitted on time.

We intend holding 2 training seminars over July and August. Presentations and advice will be provided during these on the preparation of:

• Application Forms;
• Targets and Monitoring Processes;
• Economic Assessments;
• Environmental Statements

Please email nhgrants@doeni.gov.ukif you would like to be informed of the dates of these seminars, and include dates during which you would be unavailable to attend.

If you have any queries please contact:

• Maia Taylor – Grants Programme Manager – 028 9056 69621 – maia.taylor@doeni.gov.uk
• Terry Eakin– Access Grants – 028 9056 9580 – terry.eakin@doeni.gov.uk
• Peter Turner – Economic Appraisals and financial issues – 028 9056 9610 –peter.turner@doeni.gov.uk
• Diarmuid McKeever – Administrative queries – 028 9056 9600 –nhgrants@doeni.gov.uk

If you do not have computer access you may ask for the materials to be posted to you. Grant Programme staff are available to help applicants with queries and can be contacted at:

EHS Natural Heritage Grants Programme, Klondyke Building 2^nd Floor, Cromac Avenue, Gasworks Business Park, Lower Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 2JA, E-mail:nhgrants@doeni.gov.uk

The revised Guidance Notes and Application Form are available for downloading from the grants website www.ehsni.gov.uk/landscape/grant.