£1 million Community Partnership Fund to boost community and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office has today, Friday 1 May, launched the Community Partnership Fund
The Northern Ireland Office has today, Friday 1 May, launched the Community Partnership Fund. This grant will provide up to £1m over three years to strengthen and empower Northern Ireland’s voluntary sector. The Community Partnership Fund will harness voluntary sector expertise to support local community organisations, particularly those operating in rural areas.
The grant will be awarded to a successful forum of established sector leaders who will provide guidance to smaller community groups, including those based in rural areas, or lacking the confidence to engage with established institutions and networks.
The initiative aims to empower groups to think bigger and act more ambitiously for their communities by supporting them to generate bold ideas, successfully navigate funding opportunities, and build long-term financial resilience.
Delivery and Application Details
Applicants are encouraged to propose programming that will enhance the reach, depth, and/or impact of current support opportunities and demonstrate how their proposal will fill a gap in provision. The Community Partnership Fund will be delivered as a single, competitive grant of up to £1 million awarded to a successful forum of established sector leaders.
Application guidance, forms, and budget/delivery templates are available below.
To apply, you must submit an application form, budget/delivery plan tool, and accounts to community.projects@nio.gov.uk by 5pm Friday 19 June 2026.
Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.