National Lottery Project Funding Available for Arts Groups
8th May, 2025
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is inviting applications to its National Lottery Project Funding Programme. The Programme is designed to help arts organisations carry out their work, delivering 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.
The minimum grant available under this programme is normally £10,001 and the maximum grant available will be £75,000.
In addition, the Arts Council is particularly keen to receive applications which:
- Encourage the involvement of children and young people, older people, or people with disabilities with organisations and artists of the very highest professional standards across the disciplines;
- Encourage proposals which will deliver high quality programming in rural areas;
- Encourage the involvement of, and applications with a focus on, the following: Minority Ethnic artists, D/deaf, neurodiverse and disabled artists, Emerging artists, Working-class artists and LGBTQIA artists
- Promote innovative, original work by Northern Ireland artists across all art forms
Gilly Campbell, Joint Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council, commented:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, the Arts Council is able to reopen this important funding scheme which will support the development of high-quality arts activities in communities across Northern Ireland. Last year’s National Lottery Project Funding supported a diverse range of projects from festivals, to community arts events, theatre productions and concerts, for people of all ages. This year, once again, we would encourage applications across all art forms, with a particular focus on quality and inclusivity.”
The Arts Council welcomes applications from the widest possible range of organisations and, in particular, from applicants whose projects benefit individuals categorised under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Only projects that will take place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 are eligible for the scheme.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon, 6 June 2025. Applicants are advised to consult the programme Guidance Notes, Introduction Notes and Commitment statements before submitting their application. You must apply using the Arts Council’s online system. The Arts Council will not accept applications in hard copy or by email.
Full details of the programme, eligibility and what you can apply for can be found at https://artscouncil-ni.org/funding-for-organisations/national-lottery-project-funding