Village Catalyst Grant Scheme

Overview

You can see examples of the sort of projects supported in the their pilot.

Support is available for communities to:

• Carry out viability work (up to £10k),
• Develop their plans (up to £20k)
• Deliver their project (up to £200k).

Three Routes of Support

This grant programme has been designed to support you through the work of identifying developing and delivering a suitable project.

VIABILTY SUPPORT

Funding of up to £10k is available to support you to carry out project viability work. This support is administered by the Architectural Heritage Fund, on behalf of the partnership. This is to help your organisation look at potential uses for a building and at its current condition, and to produce a report to a standard template

To consider potential uses for a building and its current condition, and compile a report summarising your findings of the feasibility of your plans for the building to a standard template. Apply at: ahfund.org.uk

DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

Funding of up to £20k is available to support you to carry out project development work covering some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site. This support is also administered by the Architectural Heritage Fund. To qualify, an organisation must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable

To cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site (drawings, approvals, fundraising etc).

Request application form at: villagecatalystsupport@ communities-ni.gov.uk

DEVELOPMENT WORKS

If you do not need their support at this stage please still tell them about your scheme if you intend to apply in future for Delivery Support. Request application form at: villagecatalystsupport@ communities-ni.gov.uk

DELIVERY SUPPORT

Funding of up to £200k is available to support you to carry out project delivery i.e capital works on site to enable the historic building to deliver a sustainable use that helps to tackle rural poverty and social isolation. This support is administered by DfC. It seeks to make up an identified funding shortfall between project costs and community resources available to support the project. With limited annual funding available, communities that can show that they have exhausted all alternative support routes and do not seek the full amount available will be marked more highly at assessment stage

To cover a shortfall between project costs and community resources to carry out capital works to a historic building to deliver a use that helps to tackle rural poverty and social isolation. Request application form at: villagecatalystsupport@ communities-ni.gov.uk

They envisage that most projects will take up to one year to work through each stage. Click here for further guidance.