Ballymoney Community Festivals Fund

Overview

The main purpose of Ballymoney Borough Council’s Community Festivals Fund is to improve the capacity and sustainability of community festivals within the Borough of Ballymoney.

It will enable organisations to celebrate the cultural identity, promote diversity and to strengthen community relations within and between communities.

Ballymoney Borough Council has developed a Community Festivals Fund Grant Programme for 2010/11 through which it can provide financial assistance to community festivals and events in the Ballymoney Borough.

The applicant organisation must be a non-profit making voluntary or community organization based in the Ballymoney Borough Council area.

Applications may be made for financial assistance towards events, which may include performing arts, visual arts, cultural, recreational and sporting activities including workshops, displays, exhibitions, lectures, performances, competitions and other activities.

A draft festival programme should be included with the application for funding.

Eligible costs may include:

Insurance, venue hire, performance fees, transport, equipment hire/ purchase, signage, advertising, marketing and media costs, printing, administration (stationery, postage etc).

A total budget of £8,000 is available under the Community Festivals Grant Programme for 2010-2011. The total grant amount can only make up 80% of the total festival cost. Partnership funding must therefore be obtained and detailed, with supporting evidence. Grants of 80% of eligible expenditure will be awarded up to a maximum of £1,500 and a minimum award of £250.

However the level of grant awarded will depend on how the project meets the assessment criteria detailed above and there is no guarantee that successful applicants will receive the amount applied for. Grants will normally be released in two installments. 50% of the grant will be paid in advance of the festival's start date subject to the Council's formal letter of offer with the remaining 50% paid after the festival has been carried out. All relevant proof of expenditure along with Council’s Monitoring & Evaluation Form must be returned within 3 months of the end date of festival. Failure to comply will result in the remaining 50% of grant aid being withdrawn.