People and Communities NI

We are opening a new funding programme called People and Communities in January 2016. Tell us how we should shape it to best support local projects.

People and Communities will open in January 2016 with a budget of £60 million for communities in Northern Ireland.

We need your ideas, knowledge and examples to understand how this programme could support you to make great changes that improve people's lives and communities. We’re asking you to come back to us by 30 September 2015 so we can reflect on what you have told us before the programme opens. However, we want to keep listening to you and will reflect as change happens over the next five years.

Key programme facts 

  •  The programme budget is £60 million
  • The programme will open in January 2016 and stay open for five years until 2021
  • We are suggesting two grant sizes – between £30,000 and £200,000 and between £200,001 and £500,000, for two to five year projects.
  • The grants will be mainly revenue – but we may be able to support capital costs of up to £100,000.
  • We can suppport social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals, and community interest companies, alongside voluntary and community groups. Informal cross sectoral partnerships can also apply, as long as this partnership is led by a VCSE organisation.

We want your feedback

We want to develop a programme that allows you to meet the needs of people in communities so we would like your feedback on these key questions.Your feedback is important as it will help us shape and develop this programme.

  1. Tell us about how you will get people involved in what you want to do in your community.
  2. How do you know that the services or support you want to provide are right for your community?
  3. What assets – including strengths, skills, services and facilities – do you already have in your community that you could build on to improve people’s lives?
  4.  How can we support you to do what you want to do? 

We’re asking you to come back to us by 30 September 2015 so we can reflect on what you have told us before the programme opens in January 2016. However, we want to keep talking to you and reviewing the programme to reflect the changes that happen over the next five years. 

 Talk to us about #FundingPeopleNI on: 

 For more information visit the Big Lottery Fund NI website.

Last updated 8 years 9 months ago