*Mid Ulster District Council: Community Development Small Grants

Overview

The aim of the Community Development Small Grants scheme is to provide support to community & voluntary sector groups that play a role in improving the quality of life for people living within the Mid Ulster District Council area. It aims to provide funding to support community development activities targeted at local communities/areas in Mid Ulster.

A community development group is defined as an organisation representing the residents’ of a specific area and which delivers a range of services on various sectoral issues in response to local needs. Project activity must be community development, where the wider community of the area are coming together as one larger gathering to participate together in the proposed funded projects.

Funding Criteria

• Project Activity – list all detail of community development activity
• Project Need
• Project benefit (including number beneficiaries, project outputs and targeting social need)
• Level of Volunteering

Grant Funding Eligibility for all Mid Ulster District Council Grants

• Any constituted, not for profit, community or voluntary organisation can apply for a grant, an AGM must be held.
• Individuals can only apply to the sports representative grant and regional minority language grants. (specific eligibility is applied at each grant section).
• Religious or political activity cannot be funded under any grant.
• All applicants must present a project that is clearly defined to the theme of the grant funding, please refer to the criteria of each grant fund.
• All applicants must present a project that will take place within the Mid Ulster District Council area (Please note with the exception of the Sports Representative Grant)
• All applicants must present a project that will be delivered between 1st April and 31st March each year.
• Statutory and ‘for profit’ organisations, activities and recipients (including activities that receive statutory core provision are not eligible for grant).
• Funding cannot be allocated for a project or venue where an existing Service Level Agreement exists with Council for a core service/project, building or facility.
• Applicants do not necessarily have to reside within the Mid Ulster District Council area however the benefits of the event must wholly impact within the Council area.
• Evidence of good management practices/policies, including an AGM, group bank account, financial management practice, insurances etc. will be required.
• All sections in the application form must be completed accurately and in full.
• There is no guarantee that successful applicants will receive the amount applied for.
• Groups are eligible to make no more than one application per grant category in any financial year, one application per grant fund in any financial year (Individuals may only apply once in any financial year).
• Grant funding does not prohibit charitable donations, as long as the funding is directed to the actual project/event activity and meets the measure criteria.
• Successful applicants will draw down grant funding retrospectively based on vouched expenditure.