UK Government: Connect Fund

Overview

The Connect Fund will connect the great ideas, people and solutions in Northern Ireland with those across the United Kingdom to address mutual challenges and grasp shared opportunities.

Objectives

Applications must have a clear East-West lens and deliver on one or more of the following objectives: 

• Strengthen East-West connections by developing long lasting civic relationships;
• Propose an original approach to developing East-West connections;
• Support the development of cultural, sports and people-to-people links;
• Build leadership capability opportunities for community leaders on an East-West basis; or
• Facilitate positive and constructive dialogue on shared opportunities/challenges facing communities in the UK. 

Funding Level

Initially there will be two rounds of funding: 

• Round 1: 2025/26 - Up to £500,000
• Round 2: 2026/27 - Up to £500,000 

Applicants can bid for projects from £300 to £50,000. 

Funding can be provided for both standalone/one off projects (e.g. attending a conference or facilitating a visit) or for a more recurrent project (e.g. establishing a UK-wide forum for community organisations). 

• Round 1 will run from 12 June 2025 to 30 April 2026.
• Round 2 will run from 1 May 2026 to 31 March 2027.

A total of £1.0m over two financial years (£500k in FY 25/26 and £500k in FY 26/27)

While the Fund supports organisations collaborating with counterparts on an East-West basis, grants will be awarded to one lead organisation to support the collaborative activities set out in an application.

Funding must be drawn down within each round and cannot be carried over. This means that if you bid for £10,000 during Round 1 (FY25/26), you must spend that funding during FY25/26. You cannot carry it across into Round 2.  

Eligibility

Applications are welcome from the voluntary and community sector, civic society and national representative bodies including for underrepresented voices. Applicants must be formally established for public benefit and not-for-profit organisations. You can apply if your organisation is a voluntary or community organisation, registered charity, constituted group or club, not-for-profit company or Community Interest Company or a statutory body.  

The Connect Fund will support East-West engagement and applications can be submitted for both standalone activities and also longer term proposals that facilitate ongoing engagement between civic organisations on a national and sectoral level. Funding can also be requested to enhance pre-existing projects taking place on an East-West basis or to establish new opportunities for engagement.  

Staffing costs can be considered where directly ascribable to the delivery of a project.  

Further eligibility criteria includes:

• Proposals must demonstrate that the activities directly benefit Northern Ireland. Activities are not restricted by location and can occur in NI or GB provided stakeholders from Northern Ireland are involved.
• NI applicants must be engaging with a partner in GB as part of their project/proposal (exceptions may be accepted if proposal is for a standalone activity; for example, attending a conference);
• Applications from national representative bodies must engage with partners/organisations in both NI and GB;
• If you want to apply for a new grant, you must wait until your current grant is closed. Organisations may only submit one ‘live’ application for funding (this means that several proposals cannot be submitted from an organisation while they await the outcome of their application or, where successful, until the project is complete);
• Organisations already in receipt of UKG funding are eligible to apply for this grant.
• If applying as a non-statutory body, you must have a governing document (e.g. constitution or memorandum and articles of association) which includes appropriate statements on members, Directors or Trustees not benefiting financially from the organisation or its dissolution, a minimum of 3 unrelated people on the committee, this will be unrelated trustees for charities and unrelated directors for companies limited by guarantee, and have your own bank account (which requires 2 signatories).

Note - They retain the right to review and revise eligibility and criteria ahead of subsequent rounds of funding.  

Work with children, young people or vulnerable adults requires a safeguarding policy.