Community Foundation for NI: Community Innovators Programme

Overview

This is an NI -wide proggramme offering grants of up to £10,000 for organisations who want support to explore and develop new solutions to a real world challenge facing communities.

NB All organisations completing the Community Innovators Programme will have an opportunity to apply for the Foundation’s Social Innovation Seed Fund. The Seed Fund provides grant-funding to allow testing and further refinement of the ideas developed during the Community Innovators programme.

Eligibility:

• Applications will be via the link to a downloadable word document below.
• All constituted voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations operating in Northern Ireland are eligible to apply.
• Applicants must also be able to meet the requirements set out in the application form, including availability on the specified dates.

NB. the programme workshops will commence in early October.

The programme is delivered by Work West who will facilitate a programme of group workshops and mentoring based around the Human-Centred Design methodology.

Human-Centred Design is a creative approach to problem solving that puts end users at the centre of the solution and focuses on experimentation, prototyping and evidence-gathering as key methods.

The programme is free to access and all applicants need is an issue they’re passionate about, an interest in social innovation and the time and ambition to develop an innovative new solution to their challenge together with their team.

Previously Funded

Three rounds of the Community Innovators programme have already been completed since 2017 with 24 organisations benefiting – for case studies see the video below and our impact report here.