Community Festivals Fund

The Community Festivals Fund is a competitive scheme and festival organisers will be required to demonstrate how their festival meets the assessment criteria. There is no guarantee that successful applicants will receive the amount applied for.

Apply here for funding

Levels of Financial Support

• Single Day Festivals - 100% funding up to £1,500

Festivals must last more than 3 hours and must consist of more than one element. For example BBQ, children’s entertainment, music etc.

• Multi-day Festivals - 100% funding up to £2,000

Festival activities must take place over two or more consecutive days and have a common theme. Each day must contain activities lasting more than 3 hours per day.

Applications can be made online at Council Funding Hub

The scheme will operate on a rolling basis from 12noon on Monday 18 July 2022 to 31 January 2023 or before this date if the budget has been fully allocated.

The indicative dates for funding are shown below:

Applications open	Applications close	Proposed activity end	Final Claims/Paperwork to be submitted by
4 August 2023	31 January 2024	31 March 2024	30 April 2024

Projects carried out before the outcome of the application is known, or before any Letter of Offer is issued will be done so at risk of not being funded.

Any awarded projects will require them to be held in accordance with the dates outlined in the scheme guidance notes.

Further information on the grant process is available by contacting the Grants Office at: T: 028 2563 3530 or 028 2563 3198 or by emailing grants@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Apply here for funding

Please note that applying for a grant is a competitive process and awards are subject to the availability of funds. Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, as part of its duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, is committed to equal opportunities and good relations and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. All awards will be based strictly on the merit principle. 

Governance Standards

Council would remind you of the requirements to maintain appropriate governance in undertaking all council-funded activities:

• In relation to any scheme that has been established to assist vulnerable people within the Mid and East Antrim Borough, the applicant group must ensure that the benefits of the funding remain and take place within the Borough only. This includes the distribution of items such as food, household items and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).
• Any groups undertaking projects that involve the making and distributing of PPE or food should ensure that the relevant legal guidelines are adhered to and appropriate safety information, including warnings, are provided with the product.
• As part of the conditions of the Letter of Offer accepted by the signee on behalf of the awarded group, you are required to keep all receipts and invoices relating to the project and ensure that the expenditure is visible on the group’s bank statement. This information will be requested at a future date as part of the monitoring and evaluation stage of the grants process.
• As stated in the Letter of Offer, all invoices must be made out to the applicant group named on the application form and Letter of Offer and that all expenditure must be clearly visible on the same group’s bank statement.
• Where possible the standard of the invoices should be of those set out as per the MEA Grants Invoice Standards document.
• Any cash purchases made by group members should be documented and evidence of reimbursement by the group to the member should be visible on the group bank statement.
• As declared in the application form, at no point should any member of the applicant group have any interest/financial benefit from the funded project.
• It should be noted that if not all of the funding awarded by Council can be vouched or if an underspend on the project occurs, Council will clawback this money through the appropriate methods.

Invoice Standards

Please note that grant payments will only be processed whereby bonafide paid invoices have been submitted with a claim.

Invoices should include the following information:

• Name, address and telephone number of the company the invoice is from.
• VAT registration number (if applicable).
• Invoice Date.
• Invoice Number.
• Name and address of the person being billed.
• Description or Reason for Invoice (including dates of events, etc.)
• The Amount.
• An Order Number (if applicable).
• Information on how to make payment.
• Invoices from individuals should be signed by that individual.
• Authorisation for payment by a member of your organisation.