The Northern Ireland Football Fund Grassroots Facilities Programme Pilot Stage
The Grassroots Facilities Programme Pilot Stage forms part of The Northern Ireland Football Fund (TNIFF), a long-standing Executive commitment to invest in modernising our local footballing infrastructure.
The programme
The Programme aims to support investment in Grassroots Football Facilities across Northern Ireland. While the Department for Communities develops the full design and scope of a long-term programme, a Pilot Stage is being introduced.
This Pilot Stage will enable the Department to explore demand and better understand the needs and challenges at grassroots level.
Importantly, the Pilot Stage gives applicants a direct opportunity to influence the future design of the Programme. The experience, feedback and outcomes from participants will help the Department learn what works best in practice, and shape how the long-term Programme operates.
Objectives
The main objectives of the Grassroots Facilities Programme Pilot Stage are to:
- increase the availability of facilities to support current and future participation, especially for women and girls
- improve accessibility of facilities for disabled users
- upgrade and enhance the facility to develop a safe, inclusive and attractive venue
- provide an insight into the diversity of need across the grassroots sector, gaining an understanding of demand and assessing the capacity of applicants to deliver projects effectively
- test key aspects of the Programme design to inform the development of the main Programme
Applications
Applications for the pilot programme closed on Wednesday 15 April for Stream 1 (Club-Led Projects) and Wednesday 29 April for Stream 2 (Council-Led Projects). A total of 35 applications were received under Stream 1, and a total of seven applications were received under Stream 2. All applications were assessed across five assessment panels:
| Assessment panel | Number of applications |
|---|---|
| County Antrim & District Football Association | 15 |
| North-West of Ireland Football Association | 9 |
| Mid-Ulster Football Association | 7 |
| Fermanagh & Western Football Association | 4 |
| Councils | 7 |
Officials assessed, scored and ranked all applications across the five assessment panels in line with the scoring matrix. Each panel was then independently moderated.
A copy of the application guidance and scoring matrix can be found on the TNIFF Grassroots Facilities Programme documents page.
On 30 September 2026, Minister Lyons announced the applicants who will progress to the next stage of TNIFF Grassroots Facilities Pilot Programme. Read the Minister’s press release for further information.
The seven applicants progressing to the next stage of the pilot programme are:
Stream 1
County Antrim & District Football Association;
- Crewe United Football & Social Club
- Colin Valley Football Club
North-West of Ireland Football Association;
- Dungiven Celtic Youth Football Club
Mid-Ulster Football Association;
- Cookstown Youth Football Club
Fermanagh & Western Football Association;
- NFC Kesh
Stream 2
- Belfast City Council
- Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council
Current stage
On 30 September 2026 all applicants will have received notification letters, informing them the outcome of their application. The seven applicants that are progressing to the next stage will have received notification letters advising that their projects have successfully completed the initial assessment stage and will now proceed to detailed Due Diligence checks and Subsidy Control Act assessments.
Next stage
Applicants will progress to the next stage of the pilot programme, subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence checks and Subsidy Control Act assessments. Once all required approvals have been secured, successful applicants will be issued with Funding Agreements.
Further detail on the Grassroots Facilities Pilot Programme can be found in the TNIFF Grassroots Facilities Programme factsheet.
Resources and support available
TNIFF held a number of Information sessions for representatives from Grassroots Football Clubs at various locations across the country, as well as two online sessions via Microsoft Teams.
TNIFF have collated a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document which can be found on the TNIFF Grassroots Facilities Programme documents page.
If you represent a Grassroots Football Club or if you are the Owner of a Grassroots Football Facility and would like to provide feedback on why your club/facility did not apply, a questionnaire can be found on the TNIFF Grassroots Facilities Programme documents page. All information gathered will be used to inform the design, scale and targeting of a future programme of investment.
All completed questionnaires should be sent via email to The Northern Ireland Football Fund.
Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact The Northern Ireland Football Fund.
Media enquiries should be directed to the Press Office.