Northern Ireland - Strengthening Communities - Application Questions

Section 1 - Before you start

This section explains what we're looking for in this form.

Question	Guidance

Section 2 - Your project

Please tell us about your project in this section. This is the most important section when it comes to making a decision about whether you will receive funding.

Question	Guidance
What is the name of your project?	The project name should be simple and to the point.
Where will your project take place?	If your project covers more than one area please tell us where most of it will take place. Select a location Antrim and Newtownabbey Ards and North Down Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Belfast Causeway, Coast and Glens Derry and Strabane Fermanagh and Omagh Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid Ulster Mid and East Antrim Newry, Mourne and Down 3 or more council areas
Tell us all the locations the project will run in	In your own words, describe all of the locations that you’ll be running your project in. For example, ‘Armagh’ or ‘Belfast’ or ‘Kesh and Ederney’.
What is the postcode of where your project will take place?	If your project will take place across different locations, please use the postcode of the building or address where most of the project will take place. You must provide the full postcode. If you do not know the postcode, you can use the Royal Mail Postcode Finder to try and find it.
Tell us the total cost of your project	This is the cost of everything related to your project, even things you're not asking us to fund. For example: If you're asking us for £280,000 and you're getting £20,000 from another funder to cover additional costs, your total project cost is £300,000. If you're asking us for £280,000 and there are no other costs, your total project cost is £280,000.
How much money do you want from us?
Tell us when you'd like to get the money if you're awarded funding?	Don't worry, this can be an estimate. For example, 08-03-2025
How long do you need the money for?	We can fund projects for up to 5 years. If your project is not an exact number of years, please round up to the nearest year. For example, for an 18 month project, choose two years. Up to 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years
What would you like to do?	Describe the main activities of your project, and who’ll benefit. Tell us how you’ve involved your community in its development and design. You must also include how you’ll: reach people experiencing poverty, discrimination or disadvantage reach and include vulnerable or excluded people work with people early to help prevent negative experiences use the strengths in your community to help people most in need involve your community in delivering the project meet the needs the community have identified connect with other services in your area to avoid duplicating work. You can write a maximum of 2000 words for this section.
How will you achieve one or more of our outcomes?	You should tell us: which of the outcomes for this funding your project will achieve best what positive changes in people’s lives will happen because of the project activities you’ve told us about how these changes fit with one or more of the outcomes we want to achieve. It's okay for your project to achieve one outcome, or more than one. But meeting more outcomes will not improve your chances of getting funding. Focus on the outcome or outcomes that you’ll achieve best. The outcomes are: Reduce health inequalities. Improve people’s physical health, mental health or wellbeing. People have positive relationships and connections. Young people reach their potential and thrive as adults. Children and young people develop good social and emotional skills. You can write a maximum of 1000 words for this section.
Why are you the right organisation to deliver this project?	Tell us briefly about your organisation. You should also include: a brief summary of your organisation’s past work in the voluntary and community sector a description of how your organisation is managed what systems you have in place around staffing, finance, safeguarding and risk how you involve the community in your organisation the number of new or existing staff involved in this project. You can write a maximum of 800 words for this section.
How will you show that your project has made a difference?	We want you to learn from and measure your project as you go. We’ll fund organisations that will use their learning to adapt their work. And to share what does and does not work with others. Tell us how you plan to: measure how your project is strengthening your community measure how you’re addressing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination use and share learning from the project. You can write a maximum of 500 words for this section.

Section 3 - Your organisation

Please tell us about your organisation, including legal name and registered address. This helps us understand the type of organisation you are.

Question	Guidance
What is the full legal name of your organisation?	This must be as shown on your governing document. Your governing document could be called one of several things, depending on the type of organisation you're applying on behalf of. It might be called a constitution, trust deed, memorandum and articles of association, or something else entirely. You might find it on a registration website - for example, Companies House or a Charities Register.
Does your organisation use a different name in its day-to-day work?	This is how you might be known if you're not just known by your legal name (the legal name is on your governing document or registration website). Yes No
What is the name your organisation uses in its day-to-day work?	This is how you might be known if you're not just known as .
What is the organisation's postcode? (Optional)	For example, EC4A 1DE
Building and street
Address line 2 (Optional)
Town or city
County (Optional)
Postcode
When was your organisation set up?	This is the date your organisation took on its current legal status. It should be on your governing document. If you do not know the exact date, it can be an approximate date. For example, 15-11-2024
What type of organisation are you?	If you're both a charity and a company - just pick ‘Not-for-profit company’ below. Unregistered voluntary or community organisation Not-for-profit company Registered charity (unincorporated) Community Interest Company (CIC)
Companies House number
Charity registration number (Optional)
Charity registration number
Department for Education number
Tell us what type of statutory body you are	Parish Council Town Council Local Authority NHS Trust/Health Authority Prison Service Fire Service Police Authority
What is your accounting year end date?	For example, 31 03
What is your total income for the year?	Use whole numbers only, like 12000.

Section 4 - Senior contact

Provide the details of your senior contact. They’ll be legally responsible for the funding. They can’t be married to, in a civil partnership with, in a long-term relationship with, living with, or related to the main contact or through a long-term partner.

Question	Guidance
What is the role of the senior contact?	You already told us what sort of organisation you are. So the senior contact role options we're giving you now are based on your organisation type. Unregistered voluntary organisation Chair Vice-Chair Secretary Treasurer Company Company Director Company Secretary Registered Charity Trustee Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO or SCIO) Trustee Chief Executive Officer Community Interest Company (CIC) Company Director Company Secretary School Head Teacher College or University Chancellor Vice-chancellor Statutory Bodies Parish Council Parish Clerk Deputy Parish Clerk Town Council Elected Member Chair Local Authority Chair Chief Executive Director NHS Trust/Health Authority Chief Executive Director Faith-based group Chair Vice-Chair Secretary Treasurer Religious leader (eg. rabbi, imam, vicar) Registered Charity and Not-for-profit Company Company Director Company Secretary School or educational body and Charity Trustee School or educational body and Company Company Director Company Secretary
What is the role of the senior contact?	You already told us what sort of organisation you are. So the senior contact role options we're giving you now are based on your organisation type.
First name (in full)	This cannot be a shortened name, initial or nickname.
Last name
What is the senior contact's date of birth?	We need their date of birth to do an identity check. If it's entered incorrectly, it could delay your application. For example, 30 03 1980
What is the senior contact's postcode? (Optional)	For example, EC4A 1DE
Building and street
Address line 2 (Optional)
Town or city
County (Optional)
Postcode
Have they lived at the address, for the last three years?	Yes No
What is the senior contact's postcode at their previous address?	For example, EC4A 1DE
Building and street
Address line 2 (Optional)
Town or city
County (Optional)
Postcode
The senior contact's email address	We’ll use this if we need to get in touch with the senior contact about the project.
The senior contact's telephone number	We’ll use this if we need to get in touch with the senior contact about the project.
Does the senior contact have any additional communication needs? (Optional)	For example, if they need information in a specific language or format.
What language should we use to contact the senior contact?	English Welsh

Section 5 - Main contact

Please provide details for your main contact. This will be the first person we contact if we need to discuss your project.

Question	Guidance
First name (in full)	This cannot be a shortened name, initial or nickname.
Last name
What is the main contact's date of birth?	We need their date of birth to do an identity check. If it's entered incorrectly, it could delay your application. For example, 30 03 1980
What is the main contact's postcode? (Optional)	For example, EC4A 1DE
Building and street
Address line 2 (Optional)
Town or city
County (Optional)
Postcode
Have they lived at the address, for the last three years?	Yes No
What is the main contact's postcode at their previous address?	For example, EC4A 1DE
Building and street
Address line 2 (Optional)
Town or city
County (Optional)
Postcode
The main contact's email address	We’ll use this if we need to get in touch with the main contact about the project.
The main contact's telephone number	We’ll use this if we need to get in touch with the main contact about the project.
Does the main contact have any additional communication needs? (Optional)	For example, if they need information in a specific language or format.
What language should we use to contact the main contact?	English Welsh

Section 6 - Supporting documents

We need some additional financial information to help us assess your application. Please attach the following documents to this form.

Question	Guidance
Upload a copy of your latest financial accounts	If you do not have yearly accounts because you’re a new organisation (less than 15 months old), that’s okay. We can still look at your application. If your financial accounts are older than 10 months, you should upload draft accounts.

Section 7 - Declaration

In order to submit your application, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions.

Question	Guidance
You have been authorised by the governing body of your organisation (the board or committee that runs your organisation) to submit this application and accept the declaration on their behalf.	I agree
You have been authorised by the people named as the Main Contact and Senior Contact to include them in this proposal and to submit their details in this form to us.	I agree
You understand that if a grant is offered to your organisation it will be subject to our terms and conditions.	I agree
All the information you have provided in your application is accurate and complete; and you will notify us of any changes.	I agree
You understand that we will use any personal information you have provided for the purposes described under our Data Protection and Privacy notice.	I agree
You accept that if information about this application is requested under the Freedom of Information Act, we will release it in line with our Freedom of Information policy.	I agree
You understand that what you tell us in this form will be shared with the main and senior contact.	I agree
You have not shared any personal data in the project questions. These are the questions where we ask what you’d like to do.	I agree
Full name of person completing this form
Position in organisation

Section 8 - Extra details about your project

We want to understand more about where our funding is going.

Question	Guidance
Which one category best describes your project?	My project brings people together and encourages social connections My project helps children or young people thrive My project supports people of all ages to live healthier lives My project supports communities to be environmentally sustainable Other, I want to describe a different category for my project
You selected ‘other’. Describe the different category you’d put your project in.
What other categories could describe your project? (Optional)	You can select more than one option. If it does not fit into any more categories, select ‘save and continue’. My project brings people together and encourages social connections My project helps children or young people thrive My project supports people of all ages to live healthier lives My project supports communities to be environmentally sustainable
Which one sub-category best describes what your project will do?	You can select more sub-categories in the next question. My project provides or improves places for people to come together (this includes meeting online or in person) My project delivers activities or events (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables people to make a positive difference to their community My project gives people a sense of safety, belonging and trust My project improves connections and relationships with others My project connects children or young people with trusted adults My project improves people’s wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project improves access to nature for people These options are not relevant to my project
Which one sub-category best describes what your project will do?	You can select more sub-categories in the next question. My project gives babies or children a good start in life My project helps children or young people develop social and emotional skills My project connects children or young people with trusted adults My project supports young people to thrive as adults My project provides or improves places for children or young people to come together (this includes meeting online or in person) My project delivers activities or events (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables children or young people to make a positive difference to their community My project gives children or young people a sense of safety, belonging and trust My project improves connections and relationships with others My project improves wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project enables children or young people to improve their community’s impact on the environment These options are not relevant to my project
Which one sub-category best describes what your project will do?	You can select more sub-categories in the next question. My project provides or improves places that support health and wellbeing My project delivers activities or events that help health and wellbeing (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables people to improve community health and wellbeing services My project improves people’s wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project helps to reduce health inequalities My project improves connections and relationships with others My project gives babies or children a good start in life My project helps children or young people develop social and emotional skills My project enables people to improve their community’s impact on the environment My project improves access to nature for people These options are not relevant to my project
Which one sub-category best describes what your project will do?	You can select more sub-categories in the next question. My project helps community organisations to have a better impact on the environment My project enables people to improve their community’s impact on the environment My project helps communities to adapt to changes in the climate My project improves access to nature for people These options are not relevant to my project
What other sub-categories are relevant to your project? (Optional)	You can select more than one option. If it does not fit into any more categories, select ‘save and continue’. My project provides or improves places for people to come together (this includes meeting online or in person) My project delivers activities or events (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables people to make a positive difference to their community My project gives people a sense of safety, belonging and trust My project improves connections and relationships with others My project connects children or young people with trusted adults My project improves people’s wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project improves access to nature for people
What other sub-categories are relevant to your project? (Optional)	You can select more than one option. If it does not fit into any more categories, select ‘save and continue’. My project gives babies or children a good start in life My project helps children or young people develop social and emotional skills My project connects children or young people with trusted adults My project supports young people to thrive as adults My project provides or improves places for children or young people to come together (this includes meeting online or in person) My project delivers activities or events (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables children or young people to make a positive difference to their community My project gives children or young people a sense of safety, belonging and trust My project improves connections and relationships with others My project improves wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project enables children or young people to improve their community’s impact on the environment
What other sub-categories are relevant to your project? (Optional)	You can select more than one option. If it does not fit into any more categories, select ‘save and continue’. My project provides or improves places that support health and wellbeing My project delivers activities or events that help health and wellbeing (this includes meeting online or in person) My project enables people to improve community health and wellbeing services My project improves people’s wellbeing, physical health or mental health My project helps to reduce health inequalities My project improves connections and relationships with others My project gives babies or children a good start in life My project helps children or young people develop social and emotional skills My project enables people to improve their community’s impact on the environment My project improves access to nature for people
What other sub-categories are relevant to your project? (Optional)	You can select more than one option. If it does not fit into any more categories, select ‘save and continue’. My project helps community organisations to have a better impact on the environment My project enables people to improve their community’s impact on the environment My project helps communities to adapt to changes in the climate My project improves access to nature for people

Section 9 - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) monitoring information

We want to hear more about the people who’ll benefit from your project and your organisation.

Question	Guidance
Is your project aimed at a specific group of people or is it open to everyone?	If at least 75% of the people you support share characteristics, then your project is for a specific group. Your specific group may share one or more characteristics. For example, if 80% of the people you work with are female refugees, this means you support a specific group of people. In this example, they share two characteristics — women and refugees. We know this can only be an estimate. It’d be too difficult to work out exactly, especially if this is a new project. My project is aimed at a specific group of people My project is open to everyone
Who is your project for?	If 75% or more of the people supported or benefitting from your project come from one specific group, tell us who they are. If you select an option, we will ask you to tell us more about that group. Communities experiencing ethnic or racial inequity, discrimination or inequality Faith communities People who emigrate Disabled people Older people (65 and over) Younger people (under 25) Women and girls LGBTQ+ people People who are educationally or economically disadvantaged Specific groups that are not included already
Which community is your project for?	Select one category, if possible Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Black British African Caribbean Any other Black/African/Caribbean background Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups White and Black Caribbean/African White and Asian Any other mixed/multiple ethnic background Asian / Asian British Asian British Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese Any other Asian background Other group experiencing ethnic or racial inequity Arab Jewish Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities Any other ethnic group
Which faith community is your project for?	Select one category, if possible Catholic Protestant Other Christian denominations Buddhist Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikh Atheist Agnostic Other faiths and beliefs
Which group of people who emigrate is your project for?	Select one category, if possible People seeking asylum People with refugee status People with irregular and undocumented status Other people who emigrate
Which group of disabled people is your project for?	Select one category, if possible Mental health Long-standing illness or health condition Mobility impairments Visual impairment/partial sight/sight loss Deaf/hard of hearing/hearing loss Speech impairment Multiple physical impairment Learning disability Learning difficulty Neurodiverse Other type of disability or impairment
Which age group is your project for?	Select one category, if possible 19-25 16-18 8-15 2-7 Under 2 years of age
Which LGBTQ+ community is your project for?	Select one category, if possible Bisexual men Bisexual women Gay men Lesbian/gay women Trans men Trans women Non-binary people LGBTQ+ people I'd describe in another way
Which specific group (that you have not included already) is your project for?	Examples include: care experienced young people, carers, people recovering from alcohol addiction, sex workers, people whose first language is not English or Welsh, people who have problems reading, men and boys
Which community is your project for?	Both Catholic and Protestant Mainly Catholic (more than 60 percent) Mainly Protestant (more than 60 percent) Neither Catholic nor Protestant
What additional EDI information would you like to include about the people your project supports? (Optional)	You told us that your project will benefit: Tell us more about who they are.
Do most of your leadership team self-identify as belonging to a specific group of people?	Tell us what specific group they belong to if at least: 75% of your board of trustees or management committee share one or more characteristics and 50% or more of senior staff share one or more characteristics. If you select an option, we will ask you to tell us more about that group. Communities experiencing ethnic or racial inequity, discrimination or inequality Faith communities People who emigrate Disabled people Older people (65 and over) Younger people (under 25) Women and girls LGBTQ+ people People who are educationally or economically disadvantaged Specific groups that are not included already No Prefer not to say
Which community is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Black British African Caribbean Any other Black/African/Caribbean background Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups White and Black Caribbean/African White and Asian Any other mixed/multiple ethnic background Asian / Asian British Asian British Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese Any other Asian background Other group experiencing ethnic or racial inequity Arab Jewish Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities Any other ethnic group
Which faith community is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible Catholic Protestant Other Christian denominations Buddhist Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikh Atheist Agnostic Other faiths and beliefs
Which group of people who emigrate is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible People seeking asylum People with refugee status People with irregular and undocumented status Other people who emigrate
Which group of disabled people is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible Mental health Long-standing illness or health condition Mobility impairments Visual impairment / partial sight / sight loss Deaf / hard of hearing / hearing loss Speech impairment Multiple physical impairment Learning disability Learning difficulty Neurodiverse Other type of disability or impairment
Which age group is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible 19-25 16-18 8-15 2-7 Under 2 years of age
Which LGBTQ+ community is your leadership team part of?	Select one category, if possible Bisexual men Bisexual women Gay men Lesbian / gay women Trans men Trans women Non-binary people LGBTQ+ people I'd describe in another way
Which specific group (that you have not included already) is your leadership team part of?	Examples include: care experienced young people, carers, people recovering from alcohol addiction, sex workers, people whose first language is not English or Welsh, people who have problems reading, men and boys
What additional EDI information would you like to include about your leadership team? (Optional)	You told us that your leadership team self-identify as: Tell us more about who they are.

Northern Ireland - Strengthening Communities - Application Summary