The Arts Council

The Arts Council has designed this programme to encourage you to develop and deliver your ideas, linked to your artistic needs and to your future plans.
The aim of this programme is to assist organisations to deliver arts projects which contribute to the growth of arts in the community for new and existing audiences and which reflect the diversity of Northern Ireland’s society and culture.
We want to support activities which benefit the people of Northern Ireland or that help arts organisations in Northern Ireland carry out their work. All applications should fit within the objectives stated in the Council’s five year plan and within its artform policies.
Note: It is the case that the Council’s programmes, priorities and criteria can change. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are using the most up to date guidance notes and application forms. If you are thinking of making an application please check the Council’s website to make sure that you are using the current guidance notes.
Who can apply?
We welcome applications from the widest possible range of organisations.
You will be required to provide proof that you have a legal constitution.
• Registered charities and other organisations which cannot distribute profits
• Groups of organisations working together to deliver specific projects
• Organisations currently in receipt of an Arts Council Annual funding Programme award may apply for:
 new commissions
 Equipment
 projects of an exceptional nature which were not anticipated at the time of their AFP application
• formally constituted parent-teacher associations
How to apply?
You MUST apply online at http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/…/sche…/small-grants-programme
We will not accept applications in hard copy, by email or by fax.
Online applications may be edited, saved and returned to at any time until you submit. You MUST submit ALL mandatory enclosures associated with the application at the same time, ie. at the point at which you submit your online application. These enclosures are listed within the online application and also in the sample application document (available for download on our website).
The online application allows you to upload and attach the necessary enclosures to your application. All such documents must be in Word, Excel or pdf format. We cannot accept documents in other formats. Total size of documents should not exceed 25 Mb.
All of the information you provide will be held on computer. This information will be used for the administration of applications and grants, for producing statistics and information on successful applicants. Remember to keep a copy of the completed form and enclosures for your own records.
Please note that due to the current demand for Small Grants funding, the maximum grant is unlikely to exceed £5,000
Rolling deadline