Dormant Assets For All

  1. Ariannu
  2. Rhaglenni ariannu
  3. Dormant Assets For All

This funding is for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VSCE) organisations in Northern Ireland. We want to fund these organisations to be more resilient and prepared for the future by increasing their skills and capacity.

By this we mean, we want to help them to be stronger and able to deal with future challenges.

The work we fund must meet one of these outcomes

In your organisation, you must improve:

  • confidence and skills in using digital technology
  • how you track and measure your impact
  • financial skills and management
  • governance and leadership skills
  • volunteer recruitment and management.

See what we're hoping to fund for details.

We’ll only fund projects that will make your organisation stronger. We will not fund the delivery of an activity in your community. For example, to expand the activity into new areas.

We offer funding from £300 to £20,000. And can support your project for up to 2 years.

Ardal
Gogledd Iwerddon
Yn addas ar gyfer
Voluntary or community organisations.
Cyfanswm ar gael
£4 million
Terfyn amser ymgeisio

30 June 2027

Apply

How to apply

Apply online Continue application

If it's difficult or impossible for you to complete an online application form

You can contact us if you have any communication support needs.

What information you need to apply

We ask for the contact details, home addresses and dates of birth of 2 different people from your organisation. We need a different email address for each person

One person should be someone we can talk to if we have any questions about your project. The other should be a senior member of your organisation, who'll be legally responsible for the funding. Both need to live in the UK.

These 2 people cannot be related. Related can mean:

  • related by marriage
  • in a civil partnership with each other
  • in a long-term relationship with each other
  • related through a long-term partner
  • living together at the same address
  • related by blood.

We ask for the legal name of your organisation. And its address. And what type of organisation it is

Check these details before applying. Also check any registration numbers if you have them – like a charity number or company number. It will slow down your application if these details are not right.

We ask for details about your organisation’s accounts

We’ll ask you to tell us your:

  • accounting end date
  • total income for the year.

We also ask you to read and agree to our terms and conditions

You can read the terms and conditions.

Send us your bank statement

What we need

We ask for one bank statement dated within the last 3 months. So, we can check the account you want us to pay the grant into.

We'll not be able to assess your application if you do not have a bank account and bank statement that meet our requirements below and you’ll need to reapply once you have these set up. If you’re not sure you should contact us to check if your bank account and statement are suitable.

We need:

Our bank statement needs

The bank statement (or bank welcome letter if the account was opened within the last 3 months) must be:

  • uploaded as one single file
  • a file of 12MB or less in size
  • a PDF, JPEG or PNG file.

It should show:

  • the bank logo
  • your organisation's legal name
  • the address the statements are sent to
  • your bank's name
  • the account number and sort code
  • the date the statement was issued.

If all these details are on one page, just send us that page.

What else we would accept

If you have a new bank account opened within the last 3 months, we can accept a bank welcome letter instead of a statement. The letter must confirm the date the account was opened and all the account details.

If you’re unable to provide a bank statement, we can accept transaction listings, if they include everything we’d expect to see on a bank statement:

  • the bank logo
  • your organisation’s legal name
  • the address your bank uses for correspondence
  • your bank’s name
  • the account number and sort code
  • date the transactions listing covers.

What happens after you apply

  1. We’ll consider your application

    We’ll look at your idea and carry out checks on the information you provide us. You can find out more about the checks we'll carry out on your information.

  2. We’ll tell you our decision in 12 weeks

    If you’re not successful, we’ll tell you why.

    If you’re successful, we'll email you with the good news. You can start your project as soon as you get this email, if you want to. And we’ll put the funding in your bank account within 14 days (or sooner, if possible).

  3. You can start your project

    You should spend the funding the way you said you would in your application (unless we’ve agreed to something different first). You can find out more about how to manage your funding on our website.
  4. Download the Dormant Assets NI logo

    This funding comes from Dormant Assets NI, not The National Lottery. You’ll need to use the Dormant Assets NI logo on your website, social media and any printed materials.

To find out how we use your personal data

You can read our data protection statement.

Reduce your environmental footprint

The National Lottery Community Fund cares about our environment and are always striving to manage our environmental impact. We encourage and support projects and communities to do the same. Learn more about how you can make your project or event more environmentally sustainable and perhaps save money at the same time in our guidance on reducing your environmental footprint.

Who can apply

Who can apply

To apply you must be a constituted voluntary, community and social enterprise organisation.

You must also be a:

  • unregistered voluntary or community organisation
    An organisation set up with a governing document - like a constitution. But is not a registered charity or company.
  • not-for-profit company
    A company limited by guarantee - registered with Companies House. And might also be registered as a charity.
  • registered charity (unincorporated)
    A voluntary or community organisation that's a registered charity. But is not a company registered with Companies House.
  • Community Interest Company (CIC).
    A company registered with Companies House. And the Community Interest Company (CIC) Regulator.

You need at least 2 board or committee members who are not related

Related can mean:

  • related by marriage
  • in a civil partnership with each other
  • in a long-term relationship with each other
  • related through a long-term partner
  • living together at the same address
  • related by blood.

All companies who apply must have at least 2 directors who are not related in any of these ways. This also applies to companies that are also registered as charities.

You can apply if you’re already funded by us

You can apply for this funding if you've already got funding from Dormant Assets NI or The National Lottery. But we will not fund you:

  • if you've already received funding from Dormant Assets For All
  • for the same project you're already doing.

We’ll fund a new project or work that builds on an existing project.

Who cannot apply

We cannot accept applications from:

  • organisations that have been operating for less than 2 years
  • organisations that have already received funding from Dormant Assets For All
  • individuals
  • sole traders
  • religious institutions like churches, synagogues and mosques (although faith-based community groups are eligible to apply)
  • organisations based outside Northern Ireland
  • companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including Companies Limited by Shares)
  • statutory organisations
  • · schools
  • one organisation applying on behalf of another.

We do not accept applications written for you by private businesses or consultants

Be careful of businesses or consultants who say they can support you with your funding applications. They might say they’re acting on the Fund’s behalf, or they’re a preferred supplier of the Fund. They could even offer to write an application for you.

We do not accept applications from these types of businesses or consultants.

You can get help from support organisations - like your local council or Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA)

They may be able to give you support and advice on writing your application.

The projects we fund

The projects we fund

The work we fund must meet one of these outcomes

In your organisation, you must improve:

  • confidence and skills in using digital technology
  • how you track and measure your impact
  • financial skills and management
  • governance and leadership skills
  • volunteer management and support.

This section has details of what we mean by each of these.

Improve confidence and skills in using digital technology

For example, you could:

  • create a new digital strategy and the tools needed to do this
  • provide training for staff and volunteers to improve digital skills
  • use a consultant to review the challenges and opportunities your organisation has with digital
  • create or improve your website or social media presence
  • test new ways of working like using AI tools.

Improve how you track and measure your impact

For example, you could:

  • use or buy new digital tools or systems to measure and track impact
  • provide training for staff and volunteers about how to measure the impact of their work.

Improve financial skills and management

For example, you could:

  • use a consultant or professional to review how your organisation manages its finances
  • explore opportunities to build unrestricted income

Improve governance and leadership skills

For example, you could:

  • provide training, coaching or advice. This could be for things like strategic planning, safeguarding and leadership skills
  • work with other organisations to use the same services or systems. Like sharing equipment, software or staff to help you save time and money.
  • work to improve your policies and processes
  • being better prepared for changes in leadership or key roles.

Improve volunteer recruitment and support

For example, you could:

  • strengthen how you recruit, manage and recognise your volunteers
  • provide training and qualifications for your volunteers.

If you’ll be working with children, young people or vulnerable adults

You need to have a policy in place that explains how they’ll be safe. If you get funding you’ll need to follow our expectations on safeguarding children and adults at risk.

The Volunteer Now website has child safeguarding advice and information services.

What you can spend the money on

How much you can apply for

We offer funding from £300 to £20,000, for up to 2 years.

We can fund:

  • equipment
  • training costs
  • transport
  • utilities
  • volunteer expenses
  • professional support and consultants.

Working with consultants

A specialist consultant or professional can help bring new skills or experience to your organisation. We can fund you to work with a consultant if that’s what you need to reach your goals. They must help strengthen your organisation and help you deal with future challenges.

In your application, you should tell us if you plan to work with a consultant. And what problem they will help solve. You can use some of your budget to carry out your consultant’s suggestions.

You must be careful of businesses or consultants that contact you first. They may say they’re acting on our behalf, or that they’re our preferred supplier. This is not how we usually work. And they may not give you the best advice for your organisation.

When you’re looking for a consultant, you should try to get 3 quotes for the work you need done. We might ask to see evidence of this.

You cannot use our funding to pay a consultant for writing your application.

We cannot fund:

  • staff salaries
  • capital costs (buying land, buildings, vehicles or paying for refurbishments)
  • projects you’ve already been funded for. We’ll fund new projects or work that builds on an existing project.
  • projects that focus on reducing your energy costs
  • your organisation’s running costs
  • retrospective costs (costs for things that have already happened, or you’ve already paid for)
  • alcohol
  • contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
  • paying someone else to write your application for you
  • VAT you can reclaim
  • religious activities
  • statutory activities
  • overseas travel
  • projects that take place outside of the UK
  • activities that make profits for private gain
  • cash that will be given directly to individuals.