Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Community Support Grant Programme

Overview

The Community Support Grant Scheme supports this vital work by providing funding for local organisations towards their running costs, programme / activity costs and costs associated with volunteer development.

Organisations applying for funding must:

• Have a primary focus of the advancement of community development
• Be based within the Lisburn & Castlereagh area or that the project beneficiaries are resident of the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area
• Be a formally governed community / voluntary sector organisation, which includes a community forum, network or similar body
• Have an open and accountable governing document
• Not be applying primarily for fundraising charitable purposes, or deploying potential sources of income to a charity

Funding Limits

Depending on the premises held applicants may apply for the following amounts:

• Community Hall Lease holder only - £5,500
• Community House/Flat - £4, 250
• Hired Premises (Daily/Weekly Basis) - £4,250
• No Premises £2,500

The financial support available through this grant may not cover all costs associated with the requirements of the group for the development of your project. Where this is the case, the criteria will require the organisation to cover any shortfall from their existing resources.

Match funding is not a pre-requisite for the submission of applications.

Who can apply for funding support?

The following list is a basic eligibility criteria that your organisation must meet to be able to apply for any grant from them.

If your organisation does not meet the eligibility criteria, they will not consider your application for funding. Council officers will perform an initial eligibility check on all applications to ensure that the application meets the basic eligibility criteria including the following:

• evidence that the application is from a formally governed community/voluntary sector organisation, which includes a community forum, network or similar body
• evidence that the applicant group’s governing document open and accountable
• evidence that the group is based with the Lisburn and Castlereagh area or that the project beneficiaries are resident of their area
• successful applications will be determined on the basis of merit
• if more than one group operates within a particular locality, the council would welcome partnership applications, however a lead applicant will need to be identified. Please note in this case the applicant must demonstrate that there is no project duplication
• funding must be spent between the date of the letter of offer and 31st March 2026.
• applicants can apply to other sources of public support, outside of the council, but must declare this in their application form
• organisations in receipt of a grant must comply with all statutory obligations regarding the delivery of and access to their programme, including council procurement/health & safety/safeguarding and licensing requirements
• applicants will be expected to make every effort to increase capacity within their local community, through for example, skills training and volunteering
• it is a prime responsibility of the council to ensure the proper and efficient use of, and accountability for, public monies. To this end, applicants must forward all supporting documentation requested along with the application. They will be unable to assess applications without all supporting documentation being received
• applicants will be required to demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of their project, and adequately show how it will have a positive and measurable impact on the local community
• future funding may be withheld if any required closing documentation is still outstanding for previous grants administered by us, including invoices, receipts, accounts, bank statements and evaluation reports
• successful applicants in any given year should not presume continued support in subsequent years
• evidence that the project is not of a commercial nature or organized on a profit/ commercial basis
• evidence that the projects administration/equipment costs are proportionate to the overall programme costs
• evidence that the application is not for trade or professional conferences/ conventions
• evidence that the application is not primarily fundraising for charitable purposes, or deploying potential sources of income to a charity
• evidence that the application is not for a social event that has no community benefit