Central Good Relations Fund

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The Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF) supports constituted voluntary and community sector groups to deliver good relations projects where there is evidence of identified good relations need.

What is the aim of the Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF)?

The aim of the Programme is to support the achievement of the Executive’s strategic objectives relating to good relations.

Funding should be used for the delivery of projects which aim to address any of the following:

where there is an identified good relations need and the aim is to work with those most in need of a good relations intervention within specific areas of impact;
where there is, or potential for, heightened social unrest;
where there has been a significant change in local demographics;
where there has been an increase in racist/sectarian hate incidents; and
where emerging issues within communities warrant a Good Relations intervention.

It should be noted that to be fundable under CGRF, projects need to demonstrate concrete Good Relations work at the heart of all activities, and this work needs to be proactive in building Good Relations rather than passively bringing people from different communities/backgrounds together.

Please note that awards are limited to two per organisation. The amount of grant applied for should generally not exceed £50,000 per application. Any application requesting £50,000 or over must be exceptional in its design, delivery and expected outcomes from a good relations perspective.

About the Programme

From 2016 to 2025/26, over £30.5 million has been awarded to support more than 950 projects across Northern Ireland which has impacted on over 320,000 people. These CGRF projects with a good relations focus also include a wide range of activities such as sport, music, drama, arts and crafts, to engage with and make a difference in local communities whilst contributing to peace building and reconciliation. In addition, these projects provide important opportunities to develop new skills, gain qualifications, build self-confidence, develop new friendships, and to celebrate and embrace cultural diversity.

There are two streams of funding available; Project Funding and Small Grants.

For both streams, projects can claim salaries and programme costs, but these costs must be proportional to the good relations project being delivered. CGRF does not, and will not, replace mainstream core or project funding for groups.

Project Funding opens once a year for applications. Small Grants are open for applications throughout the funding year and are available for projects up to £2,000, subject to available budget.

2026/27 Central Good Relations Fund – Project Funding (over £2,000)

Applications for the 2026/27 Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF) funding programme are now open and will close on Friday 30 January 2026 at 4pm.

Applications should be made via the online portal.

To enable you to access the portal, you must firstly register your organisation. However, if you have previously registered, you DO NOT have to register again.

More information on how to register and apply is provided below.

Successful projects must deliver within the funding year and contribute towards the delivery of one of the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy key priorities.

Applications are welcomed, in particular, for good relations projects that include a focus on:

Developing the capacity within and across communities to build good relations;
Involving the hardest to reach participants including those most impacted by the trauma of conflict and those that have not been engaged or have had limited engagement in Good Relations projects;
Single identity projects where there is a Good Relations need to develop an understanding of one’s own culture and traditions as well as the cultures and traditions of others;
Delivering against the T:BUC Key Priority – ‘Our Safe Community’ (the outcomes are: to reduce the prevalence of hate crime and intimidation and/or to have a community where places and spaces are safe for all);
Environmental activities and benefits;
Social action activities;
The inclusion of content around addressing racial and/or sectarian tensions;
Delivery of projects within geographical areas where there has been a significant change in demographics, an increase in racist/sectarian hate incidents, and where there is an evidenced GR need; and
Delivery of projects which aim to address sectarian and/or racial tensions within the following areas:
- Derry City and Strabane District Council;
- Mid and East Antrim Borough Council;
- Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; and
- Ards and North Down Borough Council.

Eligibility

The programme is open to properly constituted community groups and voluntary organisations. Examples include Association, Trust, Company limited by Guarantee, Community Interest Company, Charitable Incorporated Organisation or Industrial and Provident Society.

To be eligible for funding, your organisation must:

be legally able to operate in Northern Ireland.
be independent, not for profit, and have a constitution or set of rules defining your aims, objectives and operational procedures.
have a suitable management structure and appropriate financial controls.
comply with relevant legislative requirements in respect of employment, health and safety, discrimination and equality of opportunity.

Applying for CGRF Project Funding (over £2,000)

Applications to the Central Good Relations Fund 2026/27 for project funding (over £2,000) are now open. Applications for funding should be made using the online application portal.

To access the online application portal, you must first register your organisation. However, if you have previously registered, you DO NOT need to register again. Please follow the link below and enter your username and password in the ‘Local Account Login’ section to log in to the application portal.

Already Registered? Login to apply for a 2026/27 CGRF grant

For those groups that have NOT already registered, please use the link below to register:

The 2026/27 CGRF Guidance Notes also contain a Step-by-Step Guide to Registration and a Step-by-Step Guide to the Application Form.

2026/27 CGRF – Guidance Notes

The deadline for applications is Friday 30 January 2026 at 4.00pm. However, you must register your organisation by 4pm on Thursday 29 January 2026, to enable access to the online application portal. Any registrations submitted after that time will not be accepted.

Support will be available during office-hours throughout the online application process. You can contact the Central Good Relations Team using details contained in the following link: the Central Good Relations Fund Team

CGRF 2026/27 online Information Sessions

To help groups apply for funding, the Executive Office will be hosting three ‘CGRF Online Information Sessions’ via MS Teams.

The sessions will take place on: -

Session 1 – Wednesday 7 January 2026 @ 10.30am
Session 2 – Thursday 15 January 2025 @ 10.30am
Session 3 – Tuesday 20 January 2026 @ 2.30pm

The online forums will be a great way to find out more about the CGRF fund, and advice and guidance will be offered in relation to projects that could be delivered, the application form, and how to apply etc.

The online forums will last approximately 1hr and will also include a Q&A session where attendees can submit questions to the panel.

Please click the link on the session you wish to attend in order to register. You will then be provided with joining instructions for your chosen session.

In advance of the session, you may wish to ensure that the device you will be logging on with is compatible with MS Teams. Some devices may require you to have the MS Teams app downloaded.