Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund competitive grant call
The Department for Communities is opening a competitive grant call to identify a preferred intermediary funding body to administer the proposed longer-term Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund.
The Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund (NICIF) is a capital grant intervention intended to support voluntary and community organisations to improve existing community buildings and facilities across Northern Ireland. The appointed intermediary funding body (IFB) would be responsible for administering competitive grant calls on behalf of the department. This would include applicant support, application management, assessment processes, award recommendations, monitoring, reporting, assurance, grant payment and post-award grant management.
The appointed IFB will not be responsible for appointment or management of contractors, and will not be responsible for organising, directing or controlling any works funded through their administration of competitive grant calls on behalf of DfC.
The NI Community Infrastructure Fund will remain a Department for Communities programme. The department will retain policy ownership, strategic control and programme oversight.
At-risk process
This process is being undertaken at risk and in advance of formal approval of the NICIF funding. It is intended to identify a preferred IFB only.
No appointment, grant award or financial commitment will be made unless and until all departmental governance approvals are secured. Participation in this process does not create any entitlement to appointment, grant award, future funding or reimbursement of costs.
Who can apply?
This competitive grant call is restricted to Voluntary and Community Sector organisations operating in Northern Ireland.
Applications may be submitted by a single eligible Voluntary and Community Sector organisation operating in Northern Ireland, or by a consortium. Where an application is submitted by a consortium, all consortium members must be Voluntary and Community Sector organisations operating in Northern Ireland.
Where a consortium applies, a single lead organisation must be identified. The lead organisation will be accountable to the Department for delivery of the Intermediary Funding Body role and for compliance with any grant funding agreement.
Full eligibility requirements are set out in the Information for Applicants and Application Form.
Indicative programme scale
For planning purposes, the scheme assumes that the longer-term Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund would operate with a total capital fund of up to £15 million, delivered through three funding calls of up to £5 million each. This timetable is indicative and remains subject to all departmental governance approvals being secured.
Key dates
| Stage | Indicative timing |
|---|---|
| Online information session | 10am, 27 July 2026 |
| Launch competitive grant call | 29 July 2026 |
| Application window | 29 July 2026 to 5pm on 26 August 2026 |
| Clarification deadline | 5pm on Wednesday 19 August 2026 |
| Assessment period | September 2026 |
| Appointment | October 2026 |
| Mobilisation and co-design | October to December 2026 |
| First Community Infrastructure Fund call launch | End January 2027 |
Assessment approach
Applications will be assessed in line with the published information for applicants and application form.
The application process includes:
- applicant details;
- pass/fail gateway requirements;
- quality assessment;
- financial proposal.
The quality assessment will account for 60% of the overall application score. The financial assessment will account for 40% of the overall application score. Minimum quality thresholds will apply.
How to apply
Organisations wishing to apply should contact the department by email at:
Organisations that contact the Department for Communities will be issued with the application form and information for applicants. They will also be added to the registered applicants mailing list so that they receive any clarification responses, Frequently Asked Questions documents or other updates issued during the application window.
Applicants must complete the application form and return it by email to:
Applications must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 26 August 2026.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that complete applications and all required supporting information are submitted by the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Clarifications
Clarification questions must be submitted by email to:
Clarification requests must be received no later than 5pm on Wednesday 19 August 2026.
Responses to clarification requests will be made available to all applicants through a Frequently Asked Questions document circulated to registered applicants. The Department will not provide tailored advice to individual applicants on how to complete their application.
Application documents
Organisations that request an application pack will be issued with:
- information for applicants
- application form
- any frequently asked questions or clarification documents issued during the process.
Contact
All communications about this grant call must be submitted by email to:
Applicants must not contact assessment panel members or Departmental Community Infrastructure Fund officials outside the stated process. Direct contact outside the stated process may result in exclusion from the process.