Inclusive Communities Fund 25/26

Overview

Introduction

The Northern Ireland Executive Office (TEO), in partnership with the Home Office, have been engaging local government to support the arrival of newcomers into local communities across Northern Ireland.

In recognition of the resources required to support local government and its partners in this work, financial assistance has been provided to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) to fund and develop projects and services that meet the needs of both local communities and newcomers, particularly asylum seekers and refugees, with a focus on supporting empowerment and community cohesion.

The Inclusive Communities Fund grant scheme is designed to assist community and voluntary organisations, based and/or operating within the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area, to develop capacity and infrastructure, and provide programming, that delivers upon this aim by increasing access to support, the provision of services, and opportunities for integration.

Applications for funding are invited to respond to the priorities as outlined in the Programme Criteria. Individual grants will be awarded up to a maximum of £3,000, from an overall budget of £80,000 within the scheme.

Scheme Objectives

The Inclusive Communities Fund, delivered by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council with funding from The Executive Office (TEO) and The Home Office seeks to:

strengthen the capacity of local organisations to deliver programmes and services that address the needs of newcomers, including asylum seekers and refugees, and local communities
increase social, cultural, and practical support for newcomers.
support projects that leave a legacy of improved integration and community infrastructure.
build networks and partnerships to deliver effective support and pathway connections.

Who is eligible?

The Inclusive Communities Fund is open to community and voluntary organisations based in and/or delivering their services in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area that meet the following criteria:

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 organisation, which requires at least two (unrelated) signatories
an annual set of independently examined financial accounts, endorsed at an Annual General Meeting or as otherwise stipulated within your governing document
a Management Committee or Governing Board, elected by its membership at an Annual General Meeting, and elected office bearers.
a minimum of £5 million Public Liability Insurance, to cover all risk associated with the activities of the organisation
have been in operation more than 12 months.

We do not fund organisations:

not operating on a not-for-profit basis (taken from the governing document) as we cannot support commercial projects or projects that could be carried out commercially. If, in the reasonable opinion of the council, the organisation applying for funding is a de facto commercial organisation, whatever the legal make-up of the organisation, then the council shall not fund that organisation. The decision of the council shall be final in this regard
able to share out profits (taken from the constitution or memorandum and articles of association)
not prepared to share learning from their project with us and other relevant groups.
such as local authorities, public-sector organisations or regional voluntary organisations with a focus wider than LCCC area
that provide no potential benefit to the public, either in the short or long term.
that are party political in intention, use, or presentation.
promoting a particular religion

Examples of what we will fund (not exhaustive):

We will consider funding for projects that:

provide opportunities for connection and the celebration of diversity through social events, cultural exchanges, and collaborative community-building
provide newcomers with opportunities to engage in volunteer work that provides connection, skill development, and makes a positive contribution to local communities
establish or support networks and partnerships that enhance collaboration, mutual understanding, and solidarity
provide services and support such as advice, orientation, language and translation support, and cultural engagement.
build organisational capacity to appropriately address local challenges such as social and/or racial tensions.
offer wraparound support and integration.
provide accessible spaces that foster belonging, inclusion, and participation.

Funding can cover:

costs directly related to project delivery such as facilitation or materials.
volunteer expenses and travel
venue hire, hospitality, and equipment directly related to project delivery
marketing and outreach materials
training and capacity building
translation and interpretation
education workshops
monitoring and evaluation

Examples of what we will not fund (not exhaustive):

costs which are not clearly linked to the project
costs that are poor value for money, or procured outside of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s procurement guidelines
contribution towards salary costs
building/capital costs
costs that are already covered by other funding or income sources
costs related to private or unfunded pensions
amounts for gifts and donations
reclaimable VAT
alcohol
prizes and trophies
contributions towards general appeals
funding towards campaigning around a single issue
activities related to the promotion of religion or political parties
areas of statutory responsibility or where such funding has been withdrawn
retrospective payments or the repayment of loans
organisations that are in poor financial health or cannot show effective financial control
primarily fundraising events, for charitable purposes, or deploy potential sources of income to a charity
are contrary to any Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council policies

How much is available?

The Inclusive Communities Fund has a maximum available budget of £80,000. Organisations can apply for a maximum of £3,000.

All funding should be incurred from the date of the Letter of Offer to 30th June 2026.

Application Process

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.
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.

Once your application is received, we will:

perform an Eligibility Check on your application and then assess it against the Programme Criteria;
contact you with questions should we need to, so please keep a copy of your Application Form for 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.

The assessment process

Projects will be assessed against four criteria – eligibility, feasibility, deliverability and affordability. Eligible projects will be assessed against a prioritisation matrix based on the above criteria.

Scoring system overview

Section 3, 4 & 5	Max weighted score	Pass mark to move to next section
Sections 1 & 2: About your organisation
All sections must pass to move to Section 3	Pass/Fail
Feasibility	45	32
Deliverability	35	25
Funding request	20	14
Total score	100
Section 6: Details and declaration	Pass/Fail

Sections 3,4 and 5 will be assessed drawing on the evidence you provide in relation to each of the questions asked. Each question will be given a score out of 5 as follows:

0	No evidence presented
1	Very little, weak or irrelevant evidence presented
2	Some evidence presented but lacks in either conviction or relevance
3	Clear, relevant answers with limited evidence
4	Clear, convincing answers with strong evidence
5	Strong, clear and relevant convincing evidence from a variety of sources (Proportionate to scale)

Each question will be weighted to reflect its importance. This means the score is multiplied by the weighting number to give a weighted score.

Projects must achieve a minimum threshold score of 70 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. This may include attendance at council facilitated workshops and/or meetings.

The Scoring Matrix

Section 1 & 2: About your organisation

	Pass/Fail
Legal name of organisation	Name reflects governing document
Contact for the organisation	Contact for the organisation
Location for delivery	Confirmation that funded service will be fully delivered within the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.
Date formed	Date of constitution or incorporation on governing document is more than 12 months ago.
Main purpose of group	The description reflects the purposes set out in the governing documents.
Bank Account / Signatories	At least two unrelated people to authorise any payment or withdrawal.
Policies	All appropriate policies provided e.g. H&S, Safeguarding etc. as evidenced through supporting documentation.

If all passed, applications can move to section 3.

Section 3: Feasibility

	Evidence	Weighting
Programme	Clear outline of programme / project and what they hope to achieve	3
Identified needs	Evidence of proportionate efforts to identify community needs demonstrate local needs.	2
Impact of programme	Clear explanation of how the programme will address identified needs effectively and the impact of the programme.	2
Beneficiaries	Detailed description of intended beneficiaries, including estimated numbers, demographics, and how they will benefit from the project.	2

Requires a minimum score of 32 to pass and move to the next section.

Section 4: Deliverability

	Evidence	Weighting
Partnership and collaboration	There is evidence of identifying key stakeholders, potential for collaborative working and consideration to reduce duplication of service.	1
Barriers	There is evidence the group has thought about what may stop people taking part and has made reasonable plans to address them e.g. timing, cost, physical, sensory or intellectual access, transport, culture.	2
Risk management Contingency plans	There is evidence that the group has considered and identified those risks most likely to occur and have the greatest impact and has taken reasonable and proportionate steps to manage them.	2
Monitoring and evaluation	Clear plan for tracking progress, evaluating impact, and capturing learning. Includes indicators of success and commitment to reporting and adaptation.	2

Requires a minimum score of 25 to pass and move to the next section.

Section 5: Affordability

	Evidence	Weighting
Funding needed	The funding requested falls within the rules and parameters of the scheme. The budget adds up, appears to cover key elements and is proportionate to the scale of work and the nature of the needs of users or participants.	2
Other sources	There is evidence that the group has made efforts to raise funds from elsewhere to ensure sustainability.	1
Value for money	The funding requested offers value for money given the number of people engaged and the nature of the needs being met.	1

Requires a minimum score of 10 to pass and move to the next section.

Section 6: Declaration

Pass/Fail

Acknowledgment agreement

Accepted with signatures, below

Declaration

Signed by contact

Signed by a member

Application will proceed to allocation if Section 6 is completed in full.

Apply now

To receive support regarding the application process, please contact Community Services on:
T: 028 9244 7713
E: community.services@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

If you require this guidance or any related materials in an alternative format — such as large print, Braille, audio, or a different language — please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note the closing date for completed applications is Friday 28th November at 5pm.

Click here to apply