Good Relations Fund 2026

The Good Relations Fund seeks to support projects that:

• Promote integration and understanding between different groups within the community.
• Address issues related to social division, inequality, and misunderstanding.
• Encourage active participation and engagement across diverse communities.
• Foster inclusive relationships whilst celebrating diversity, inclusivity and collaboration.

In order to deliver the Good Relations Fund aims, applicants will need to demonstrate how their project aims to address one or more of the ‘Together: Building a United Community’ (TBUC) key priorities:

TBUC 1: Our Children and Young People

Shared Aim: to continue to improve attitudes amongst our young people and to build a community where they can play a full and active role in building good relations.

TBUC 2: Our Shared Community

Shared Aim: to create a community where division does not restrict the life opportunities of individuals and where all areas are open and accessible to everyone.

TBUC 3: Our Safe Community

Shared Aim: to create a community where everyone feels safe in moving around and where life choices are not inhibited by fears around safety.

TBUC 4:  Our Cultural Expression

Shared Aim: to create a community which promotes mutual respect and understanding, is strengthened by its diversity, and where cultural expression is celebrated and embraced.

Eligible spend may include:
•  Programme costs
•  Facilitation or tutor costs
•  Materials and resources
•  Volunteer expenses
•  Venue hire
•  Advertising and promotion
•  Administration
•  Training/courses

Please note, this is not an exhaustive list in regard to eligible items of spend.
 

The Good Relations Fund is open for projects in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.  Applicants need to demonstrate the project is of significant importance in the local community and can evidence this.  All applications will need to show how the community has been involved in the development of the project and how they will continue to be involved in the future.

Projects will be assessed against five criteria – eligibility, feasibility, deliverability, affordability and sustainability.  Eligible projects will be assessed against a prioritisation matrix based on the above criteria where they will have to reach a minimum threshold score as detailed below:

Project Eligibility – If applicants do not meet the project eligibility criteria, the application will be deemed to be unsuccessful, and no further scoring will be recorded.

It is anticipated that Letters of Offer will be provided in December 2026, with all funding to be spent by 31 March 2027.

Prioritisation Scoring Matrix – Project assessment on:

a)    Feasibility – what needs are being met, how these were identified, key beneficiaries, outputs and outcomes
b)    Deliverability – details of location, timeframe, capacity, experience and risk management
c)    Affordability estimated total cost (budget). Costs must be reasonable, relevant and present value for money
d)    Sustainability – how would ongoing revenue costs be met, how will the project be assessed over time

Projects must achieve a minimum threshold score of 60 in order to be successful and will be ranked according to individual scores. 

Successful projects must provide feedback to monitor progress, evaluate results and capture learning and good practice.

The Good Relations Fund is open to all community/voluntary organisations based or operating within the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area that have been operating for at least 12 months. In addition, groups must have:

• An open and accountable governing document (Constitution or Articles and Memorandum of Association, or applicable governing document) that has been properly adopted.
• A bank account in the name of the applicant organisation, which requires at least two (unrelated) signatories.
• An annual set of independently examined financial accounts, endorsed at an Annual General Meeting.
• A Management Committee or Governing Board, elected by its membership at an Annual General Meeting, and elected office bearers.
• Have appropriate Health and Safety Policy.
• A minimum of £5million Public Liability Insurance, to cover all risks associated with the activities of the organisation.

• Individuals, sole traders or profit-making organisations
• Organisations in operation less than one year
• Salaries
• Activities that promote a particular religion or are party political in intention
• Reclaimable VAT
• Alcohol
• Prizes and trophies
• Funding towards uniforms
• Amounts for gifts and donations 
• Building/capital costs
• Costs which are not clearly linked to the project
• Projects that do not directly contribute to enhancing good relations within the community.
• Requests for retrospective funding (projects that have already started or been completed).
• Capital expenditure such as the purchase of physical assets (e.g., buildings, equipment, etc.), unless directly related to the project’s core activities.
• Fundraising events or activities aimed at generating income.

Please note, this is not an exhaustive list.

Section 1- Eligibility Criteria (Pass/Fail)
Section 2 – About your organisation (Pass/Fail) 
 

Section 3 – Feasibility 

Please provide sufficient detail to enable us to understand what your project is about and what you will do with any funding offered. 

Section 4 Deliverability 

Please provide sufficient detail to enable us to understand whether you have considered all aspects of delivering a successful project 

Section 5 - Affordability

Please consider the following when estimating the cost of your project:

• Detail each specific cost on a separate line (e.g. Facilitators, advertising, evaluation etc.) giving a cost for each separate item. 
• Ensure your costings are relevant and realistic. It is beneficial to obtain quotes/ current market rates for costs proposed.
• If you are not applying for 100% of your project costs we need to know where you are planning to get the balance of your money from. This might be from another funder or from your own funds.  

Section 6 - Outcomes

Organisations are expected to consider how the funded project or initiative will continue to deliver benefits after the grant period has ended. Council will monitor the delivery of successful projects to determine the impact of the improvements based upon the project. Applicants should consider how:

• Ongoing evaluation and monitoring to measure impact and change of participants.
• How outcomes may impact plans for future delivery or additional projects beyond the lifespan of the fund.

The required supporting documentation must be sent with the application unless we have received it in the last 12 months and no changes have been made to it:

• Signed governing document (constitution, Articles of Association)
• Most recent Annual Accounts (independently verified)
• Most recent Annual General Meeting minutes
• Evidence of Public Liability Insurance (minimum of £5 million)
• Signed Health & Safety Policy
• Signed Safeguarding Policy

Before applying, please check that:

• Your organisation is eligible to apply
• Your application meets the priorities of this fund
• You have completed every question on your Application Form
• You can provide all the information requested as part of the application process

Once your application is received, we will:

• Perform an eligibility check on your application and then assess it against the key themes of the grant, as highlighted in the Programme Criteria section above
• Contact you with questions should we need to, so please keep a copy of your Application Form for your reference
• Not assess your application if it is incomplete

If your project is successful, we will:

• Send you a Conditional Offer and our Terms & Conditions of Grant by email for your organisation to sign and return to the Council
• Clearly indicate the eligible expenditure for the funding offered
• Request the grant to be acknowledged through the inclusion of the official Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s logo on all related promotional material associated with the project and that an Elected Member or Council Officer from Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, is invited to the event/activity to which the grant is awarded

If your application is unsuccessful, we will:

• Contact you by email informing you of the reasons why your application has not been successful, for which there is no right of Appeal
• Provide you with the opportunity to engage with staff to support your organisation and strengthen future funding applications

Closing date for receipt of applications is Monday 26th October 2026 at 5pm.

Apply now