£500,000 fund to reopen for community groups building links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain
Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen is pictured with representatives of Connect Fund partner organisations Bbeyond and Belfast School of Art during a visit to Bbeyond's Belfast headquarters. L-R: Artist Programme Manager at Bbeyond Bronagh Lawson; Lecturer at Belfast School of Art Dr Sandra Johnston, Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen and Artist Administrator at Bbeyond Zara Lyness.
Friday 02 October 2026
Community and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland and Great Britain will be able to apply for grants of between £300 and £50,000 from next month to develop projects that bring communities together across the UK.
The third round of the Connect Fund opens on 2 November, with a total of £500,000 available for projects running between 1 April 2027 and 31 March 2028. Previous applicants are welcome to apply again.
For groups in Ballymena and across the province, the scheme offers an opportunity to develop partnerships with organisations in Great Britain around shared challenges, culture, sport, leadership and community dialogue.
Application dates and how to apply
Applications open at 00:01 on Monday 2 November 2026 and close at 17:00 on Friday 18 December 2026. Groups can apply through https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/.
Guidance and a link to the application page will be published when the round opens at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-connect-fund. Questions can be sent to connectfund@nio.gov.uk.
The Northern Ireland Office programme supports collaboration between community and voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, with the aim of building lasting partnerships.
Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen encouraged organisations to put forward proposals, saying:
“I encourage local groups with proposals to build East-West relationships to apply for the next funding opportunity when it opens in November.”
Belfast artists build new partnerships
Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen is pictured with Artist Programme Manager at Bbeyond Bronagh Lawson during a visit to Bbeyond's Belfast headquarters.
The reopening comes as Ms Owen visited Belfast performance art group Bbeyond, a previous recipient which has formed the NI-GB Performance Art Network.
Its partners are TactileBosch in Wales, the Belfast School of Art and the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury. The project aims to help Northern Ireland performance artists connect with the wider UK creative sector while developing leadership skills and cultural understanding.
Bbeyond Programme Manager Bronagh Lawson said:
“Personal and organisational connections outside of Northern Ireland are vital for the arts.
“The Connect Fund has been a lifeline to deepen relationships, forge new connections and bring real opportunities to our members.”
Connections beyond Northern Ireland
Ms Lawson also highlighted the possibilities created by bringing artists together:
“East-West understanding has started to open up, and when artists get together you can be sure the result will be well beyond your original predicted outcome!”
Now in its third year, the Connect Fund has already awarded £1.05 million to 46 projects across Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Previous grants have supported theatre production tours, musical performances, summits bringing together participants from different UK nations, leadership forums and youth programmes.
Further funding planned for 2028
A two-year extension announced earlier this year provides £500,000 for round three in the 2027/28 financial year, followed by a further £1 million for round four in 2028/29. This would bring total funding to up to £2.55 million.
For organisations considering the forthcoming round, the key dates are the 18 December application deadline and the delivery period beginning on 1 April 2027. The detailed application guidance will become available when the scheme opens on 2 November.
