I’ve got a great idea for a project. But is my group even eligible to apply for a grant? 

Most funders – including The National Lottery Community Fund – can only fund not-for-profit organisations to run a project, not individual people. So, let’s look at what it takes to be eligible to apply for a grant through National Lottery Awards for All.

What does my organisation need in place? 

Whether you are part of an existing organisation, or are just setting something up, there are some important steps and documentation you will need in place before you are ready to start filling in your application to our National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland programme. These are: 

1. A governing document such as a constitution 

This document needs to lay out the name and purpose of your organisation. It should also cover how it will work, how people join; how your committee will work; when you’ll have meetings, and so on. 

2. A regulated UK based bank or building society account in the legal name of the organisation applying for funding  

You’ll need to follow our guidance on financial controls and banking arrangements, making sure that no single individual has sole responsibility for any single transaction from authorisation to review and completion and that the account is managed by at least two unrelated and authorised individuals in your organisation.

3. A committee or board with at least two unrelated members.

By related we mean: 

• related by marriage
• in a civil partnership with each other
• in a long-term relationship with each other
• related through a long term partner
• living together at the same address
• related by blood.

All companies who apply must have at least two directors registered at Companies House who are not related in any of these ways. This also applies to companies that are also registered as charities. 

4. The details of two different people from your organisation   

One person should be someone we can talk to if we have any questions about your project. The other must be a senior member of your organisation who’ll ensure the board/committee know about the application and our requirements should your project receive funding. Both need to live in the UK.   

We require the home addresses, dates of birth and full names of both contacts as well as their individual email addresses and phone numbers. The contacts provided must not be related.

5. Annual accounts

We want to know the date your accounts end each year, and how much income you have annually. 

Important things to note:

If you have a grant and want to apply for a new grant – you’ll need to wait until your last grant with us is closed. You can apply for between £300 to £20,000 for projects lasting up to two years in length. Projects taking place over a shorter period of time are also eligible to apply. The maximum amount a groups can receive is £20,000 within a 12 month period.

Do we have to be a registered charity / registered company? 

No. There are some funders that will only fund registered charities, but you don’t need to be a charity or a company to access funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. 

We can fund groups that are set up with a simple constitution that sets out how their group will be run.   These groups are known as voluntary or community groups and we do not require them to be registered with a regulatory body.  However, we cannot fund informal community or voluntary groups that do not have a constitution.

The most basic type of organisation for a community group is usually called a ‘voluntary association’. All you need to form a voluntary association is a written constitution – and you don’t have to register this with anyone. 

Did you know? All charities (organisations with charitable purposes) are currently required to register with the Charity Commission NI, regardless of income, size or whether or not they have received charitable tax status from HMRC. https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/charity-essentials/charities-act-update/the-register-of-charities-and-potential-for-a-charity-registration-threshold/

I’m not sure how to set up an organisation. Where can I get help? 

Getting your organisation set up is likely to take a bit of work, but there’s loads of help available. If you are based in Northern Ireland, a great place to start is to ask your local community network or get in touch with Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), Rural Community Network or Social Enterprise NI  for advice. They can often provide free advice on getting set up and have access to basic templates online. Your local council might also be happy to help. 

If your organisation is eligible to apply, next step is to ensure your project idea is eligible too

Please read the information on our website under each tab to check that National Lottery Awards for All is right for your community idea and that you are ready with everything you need before starting your online application.

Our blogs on giving your project the best chance of success and what to avoid will also be worth reading to ensure your idea is eligible and that you avoid common pitfalls.

If you’re not sure just get in touch with us – we’re happy to have a chat and point you in the right direction.