Open Grants & Programmes

Open Grants & Programmes

All our current opportunities

If you have already started an application, please continue to use the link emailed to you upon registration.

Have you checked if your organisation/project is eligible?


Open Grants

Closing Date: May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants up to £2,000

  • Priorities:

  • The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund aims to support young people, aged 11-18, in developing their sporting abilities and opportunities.

The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund

The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund aims to support young people, aged 11-18, in developing their sporting abilities and opportunities.

The Fund will support:
- Equipment & kit costs
- Coaching costs
- Venue hire
- Travel costs

Find out more

The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund

Closing Date:

May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants up to £2,000

  • Priorities:

  • The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund aims to support young people, aged 11-18, in developing their sporting abilities and opportunities.

The Noah Donohoe Youth Sports Fund aims to support young people, aged 11-18, in developing their sporting abilities and opportunities.

The Fund will support:
- Equipment & kit costs
- Coaching costs
- Venue hire
- Travel costs

Find out more

Closing Date: Jun 5, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants will be available up to £5,000. In very exceptional circumstances the panel may decide to award grants up to £15,000.

  • Priorities:

  • • To give voice and power to those whose human rights are most at risk and to support them to challenge inequality, exclusion, and unfairness. • To provide groups and communities with support to challenge, monitor and remedy inequality and rights violations. • To increase awareness of and contribute to building a culture of rights within and between communities, particularly those most marginalized from decision making • To support communities and marginalized groups to find solutions to contentious issues

Social Justice Small Grants Programme

The Social Justice Fund is part of, and supported by, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund (NIHRF).

NIHRF Purpose: This collaborative Fund will work to advance a fairer and more equal society where the human rights of all are protected.

Aims of the Social Justice Fund:
To support local community groups to give voice to excluded groups, and work to advance a fairer and more equal society where the human rights of all are protected.

Target Group: Community Sector
The fund will support locally based community groups and locally based ‘communities of interest’ with an interest in promoting or embedding human rights and social justice in their day-to-day work for and with their chosen communities.

Find out more

Social Justice Small Grants Programme

Closing Date:

Jun 5, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants will be available up to £5,000. In very exceptional circumstances the panel may decide to award grants up to £15,000.

  • Priorities:

  • • To give voice and power to those whose human rights are most at risk and to support them to challenge inequality, exclusion, and unfairness. • To provide groups and communities with support to challenge, monitor and remedy inequality and rights violations. • To increase awareness of and contribute to building a culture of rights within and between communities, particularly those most marginalized from decision making • To support communities and marginalized groups to find solutions to contentious issues

The Social Justice Fund is part of, and supported by, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund (NIHRF).

NIHRF Purpose: This collaborative Fund will work to advance a fairer and more equal society where the human rights of all are protected.

Aims of the Social Justice Fund:
To support local community groups to give voice to excluded groups, and work to advance a fairer and more equal society where the human rights of all are protected.

Target Group: Community Sector
The fund will support locally based community groups and locally based ‘communities of interest’ with an interest in promoting or embedding human rights and social justice in their day-to-day work for and with their chosen communities.

Find out more

Closing Date: May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • £500-£2,000

  • Priorities:

  • Young people - Older people - People with disabilities

Openreach Community Fund

The Openreach Community Fund was established with capital from BT, management and unions. It exists to support small, locally based grassroots community projects.

Find out more

Openreach Community Fund

Closing Date:

May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • £500-£2,000

  • Priorities:

  • Young people - Older people - People with disabilities

The Openreach Community Fund was established with capital from BT, management and unions. It exists to support small, locally based grassroots community projects.

Find out more

Closing Date: May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants up to £2,000

  • Priorities:

  • The aim of the Fund’s bursary scheme is to support young people aged from 11 to 18 who may find it difficult to afford costs associated with developing their interest in music or sports.

The Noah Donohoe Music and Sports Bursaries

The Noah Donohoe Music and Sports Fund will provide an annual bursary scheme to support the development of applicants with a particular talent in music and sports and to financially assist their skills and help them develop their talent.

Find out more

The Noah Donohoe Music and Sports Bursaries

Closing Date:

May 14, 2026 13:00

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Grants up to £2,000

  • Priorities:

  • The aim of the Fund’s bursary scheme is to support young people aged from 11 to 18 who may find it difficult to afford costs associated with developing their interest in music or sports.

The Noah Donohoe Music and Sports Fund will provide an annual bursary scheme to support the development of applicants with a particular talent in music and sports and to financially assist their skills and help them develop their talent.

Find out more

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £3,000

  • Priorities:

  • Poverty alleviation and support for women and children at risk of immediate harm

The Randal Foundation Small Grant

The Randal Foundation works to deliver the vision of Founders, Dr Nik and Moni Kotecha – saving and significantly improving the lives of 1 million people, across the UK and globally. We work in partnership with inspirational organisations, bringing support and essential funding to both create opportunity and foster hope, for those in greatest need.

In partnership with the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland we will offer grants to support grassroots activity that directly save or significantly improve lives, in line with the Randal Foundation’s mission.


Find out more

The Randal Foundation Small Grant

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £3,000

  • Priorities:

  • Poverty alleviation and support for women and children at risk of immediate harm

The Randal Foundation works to deliver the vision of Founders, Dr Nik and Moni Kotecha – saving and significantly improving the lives of 1 million people, across the UK and globally. We work in partnership with inspirational organisations, bringing support and essential funding to both create opportunity and foster hope, for those in greatest need.

In partnership with the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland we will offer grants to support grassroots activity that directly save or significantly improve lives, in line with the Randal Foundation’s mission.

Find out more

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £500

  • Priorities:

  • To be eligible to apply, you need to: - Be between the ages of 18-30 - Live in Northern Ireland - Applications must come from a majority shareholder - Be from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing you from developing your business - The item that grant funding is going towards should not exceed £2,000 in value.

SWEF Enterprise Fund Start-Up Grant

Community Foundation NI is working in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund which helps young people from Northern Ireland develop their business idea and gain support with business investment that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Start Up Grant:
For: Pre-revenue businesses or businesses turning over less than £500 per month.
Applicants must be between the age of 18-30
Start-up grants are awarded up to £500


Find out more

SWEF Enterprise Fund Start-Up Grant

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £500

  • Priorities:

  • To be eligible to apply, you need to: - Be between the ages of 18-30 - Live in Northern Ireland - Applications must come from a majority shareholder - Be from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing you from developing your business - The item that grant funding is going towards should not exceed £2,000 in value.

Community Foundation NI is working in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund which helps young people from Northern Ireland develop their business idea and gain support with business investment that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Start Up Grant:
For: Pre-revenue businesses or businesses turning over less than £500 per month.
Applicants must be between the age of 18-30
Start-up grants are awarded up to £500

Find out more

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £2000

  • Priorities:

  • To be eligible to apply, you need to: - Be between the ages of 18-30 - Live in Northern Ireland - Applications must come from a majority shareholder. If a limited company, you need to be the majority owner of the business. A business partner over the age of 30 may not hold more than 20% - Be from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing you from developing your business

SWEF Enterprise Fund Business Grant

Community Foundation NI is working in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund which helps young people from Northern Ireland develop their business idea and gain support with business investment that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Business Grant: 
For: Businesses turning over more than £500 per month that have been trading for less than 2 years.
Applicants must be between the age of 18-30
Business grants are awarded up to £2,000


Find out more

SWEF Enterprise Fund Business Grant

Ongoing - No Deadline

  • Area:

  • Northern Ireland

  • Grant size:

  • Up to £2000

  • Priorities:

  • To be eligible to apply, you need to: - Be between the ages of 18-30 - Live in Northern Ireland - Applications must come from a majority shareholder. If a limited company, you need to be the majority owner of the business. A business partner over the age of 30 may not hold more than 20% - Be from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing you from developing your business

Community Foundation NI is working in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund which helps young people from Northern Ireland develop their business idea and gain support with business investment that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Business Grant: 
For: Businesses turning over more than £500 per month that have been trading for less than 2 years.
Applicants must be between the age of 18-30
Business grants are awarded up to £2,000

Find out more

Open Programmes

There are currently no open Programmes available. Please check again soon for updates.

Who to speak to

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Grants Team

Achieving Impact

The Grants Team are here to support you with your application and monitoring, carry out due diligence and assessment of applications and to manage the Foundation’s funds to ensure we make effective grants and achieve impact.

logo achieving impact square

Grants Team

Achieving Impact

The Grants Team are here to support you with your application and monitoring, carry out due diligence and assessment of applications and to manage the Foundation’s funds to ensure we make effective grants and achieve impact.

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