This post is over 2 years old. Any advice and funding information may not be up to date. Head home to see our most recent posts.

Our Ethnic Minority Communities Pilot Programme is now open for applications. Amanda Pawar, Funding Manager at The National Lottery Community Fund tells us more about the programme and how to apply.

Since February 2021, we have worked closely with groups and individuals from ethnic minority communities to co-design this pilot funding programme. This has been an exciting opportunity for us to work together to ensure National Lottery funding supports people from ethnic minority communities in the challenges they face on a daily basis.

National Lottery funding is for everyone. And we want to make sure that it is fair, open and accessible for all people. We are continually working closely with communities to hear how this can continue to be improved and this pilot programme is an important part of that.

We’ve heard from ethnic minority-led organisations about the challenges and opportunities they are facing, particularly when it comes to funding. We want to remove barriers to applying to our funding and involving representatives of ethnic minority communities in the decision-making for this programme will help us to understand and dismantle barriers in our wider funding. Read more about how we reached out to people to involve them in the design of this programme.

The first round of our Ethnic Minority Communities Pilot Programme is open now and will close on 18 February 2022.

Here is some important information that organisations interested in applying should read. We are also happy to chat to anyone that needs more information. Please contact us on the details below.

Who can apply?

Any organisation that is mainly ethnic minority-led and working for the benefit of people from the ethnic minority communities. We will give priority to groups that have not accessed our funding before.

How much can I apply for?

You can apply for grants of £300 up to £50,000 to cover revenue and small capital costs.

There are two levels of grants available:

• Small grants of £300-£10,000 for projects lasting up to one year.
• Medium grants of £10,001-£50,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

Are there programme priorities?

Your project must meet at least one of these programme priorities:

• Bring people from ethnic minority communities together, to build and develop relationships
  • For example, this could be community activities such as festivals, social events, educational or language classes.

• Create opportunities for the ethnic minority community, organisations and the sector, to bring about change
  • For example, this could be building an organisation’s capacity, delivering a service to address issues and challenges or developing a strategic plan for future sustainability.

What happens when you receive my application?

Once we receive your application, we will send you an email to let you know we’ve received it. Your application will then be assigned to the funding team and one of the funding officers will be in touch to chat to you about your organisation and your project idea.

Key dates

• The programme opened on 14 December 2021.
• The deadline for this round of funding is 5pm on 18 February 2022.
• You will know the decision of your application by 31 March 2022.
• All projects must be completed within one or two years (depending on the grant size) from the date you are awarded.

How do I apply?

Click the button below to download the application form:

You can complete it on your computer or print it out. Once you have completed the form, you can email it to us at enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. Or post it to: The National Lottery Community Fund, 1 Cromac Quay, Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 2JD

How can I get help with my application?

We are more than happy to answer questions and chat to you about your application. Call us on 028 9055 1455 or email enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.

For more information on The National Lottery Community Fund please visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/