The general purpose of this fund is to help pay for projects that match BCC targets. If you are applying for more than one of these grants, the projects you are applying for must be different from each other.
Each grant fund is limited. Even if an application scores highly, funding is not guaranteed.
Please note that applying for a grant is a competitive process and awards are subject to the availability of funds and may be subject to change.
Applying for Belfast City Council small grants
It is important to remember that your application is assessed on the information you provide. Any information that you do not include in this application will not be taken into account.
For some questions there is a maximum number of words you can have in your answer. The word limits are not just for guidance. Any words over the word limit will not be considered, unless the help notes state that extra information can be included.
Your responses should be well structured and clearly linked to the question. It is recommended you use bullet points and headings where possible.
This grant scheme has been carefully designed to make the application process as easy and straightforward as possible. Officers can meet with you to give advice and guidance on your application and/or project plan. It is important that you complete the form yourself and apply directly to BCC.
Please do not try to influence the decision by lobbying Belfast City Council, directly or indirectly.
Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 12 January 2024
The following list is basic eligibility criteria that your organisation must meet to be able to apply for any of these small grants. If your organisation does not meet the eligibility criteria, your application for funding will not be considered.
Belfast City Council do not fund the following.
- Organisations that are:not formally constituted, in other words, they do not have a constitution or memorandum and articles of association;
- not operating on a not-for-profit basis (taken from the constitution or memorandum and articles of association) as we cannot support commercial projects or projects that could be carried out commercially.
- If, in the reasonable opinion of the Council, the Organisation applying for funding is a de facto commercial Organisation, whatever the legal make-up of the Organisation, then the Council shall not fund that Organisation. The decision of the Council shall be final in this regard;
- able to share out profits (taken from the constitution or memorandum and articles of association);
- not prepared to share learning from their project with us and other relevant groups;
- Local authorities or public-sector organisations, including educational institutions, such as universities, colleges and schools (including nursery and pre-schools) and activities that will directly or indirectly contribute to the costs of running educational institutions.
- Schools can be considered for funding through the Good Relations Grant, however, there must be a clear need demonstrated that the project being funded will serve the community and this need is not being met by another organisation.
- Please contact BCC before applying for funding if you fall into this category
Individuals, unless they have been nominated by an appropriate organisation for either Support for Sporting Individuals Grant or a bursary for Good Relations practitioners to attend a conference through the Good Relations Grant. - Projects that:have no significant benefit to the Belfast City Council area;
provide no potential benefit to the public, either in the short or long term;
could be carried out on a commercial basis; - have already taken place or are already under way at the time of the assessment;
duplicate what already exists; - are charity or fundraising events or activities;
- are of a party political nature;
- promote a particular religion; or
- are against Belfast City Council policy. For example, balloon or Chinese lantern releases are not allowed as they are against the environmental policy.