Call for Proposals: Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund (UK)

The Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund is a local grants programme administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI). It supports community and voluntary projects that deliver community, environmental, economic, training, and sustainability benefits within 6 miles of the Dunbeg Wind Farm site in Northern Ireland. The application deadline is 1:00pm on Thursday 22 October 2026. Opportunity at a Glance

- Funding programme name: Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund

- Administered by: Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI)

- Fund established by: Gaelectric (in 2016); now managed by CGN Europe (wind energy and energy storage company)

- Geographic eligibility: Projects within 6 miles of the Dunbeg Wind Farm site (straight-line measurement)

- Eligible applicants: Locally based not-for-profit, voluntary or community groups in Northern Ireland (see eligibility section)

- Grant size: Up to £6,000

- Application deadline: 1:00pm on Thursday 22 October 2026

- Project location requirement: From the wind farm site entrance (Co-ordinates: 55.0791, -6.8088)

- Oversubscription note: If the fund is oversubscribed, consideration will be given to prioritising projects closest to Dunbeg Wind Farm

- Success rate (context only): In 2025, the success rate for applications was 56%

About the Opportunity

The Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund is designed to ensure that the local community benefits from the presence of the Dunbeg Wind Farm. While the wind farm provides environmental benefits, the fund aims to support projects that also deliver economic and social value locally. CFNI administers the fund and invites applications from community and voluntary groups working in Northern Ireland that address the priority areas listed below. Funding and Benefits

- Maximum grant amount: Up to £6,000 per project (exact award amounts are not specified in the source).

- Oversubscription consideration: If applications exceed available funding, projects closest to Dunbeg Wind Farm will be prioritised (as stated in the source).

- Not specified in the source: Whether match funding is required, whether there are cost limits by category, or whether multiple awards per applicant are allowed in the same round. Who Is Eligible? The fund welcomes applications from community and voluntary groups that meet the following requirements (as stated in the source):

- Location: Applicant organisations must be located within a 6-mile radius of the Dunbeg Wind Farm site using straight-line measurement.

- Type of applicant: A locally based not-for-profit, voluntary or community group working in Northern Ireland to improve the quality of life for local people.

- Governance and controls:

- Must have an active management committee. - No two related cheque signatories. - Must have a governing document (e.g., Constitution in the name of the applicant organisation).

- Banking and accounts:

- Must have a current bank account in the name of the organisation. - Must have up to date annual accounts. - If submitting a bank statement that is overdrawn, an explanation must be provided.

- Previous grant compliance: Must have complied with conditions of previous grants, including submission of monitoring returns.

Ineligible applicants and activities (key exclusions) The source lists multiple exclusions. Examples include: - Individuals (not eligible). - Applications from statutory organisations (not eligible). - Salaried posts (not supported). - Funding for retrospective project costs (not supported). - General appeals, individual and group sponsorship, and marketing appeals (not supported). - Advancement of religion (including organisations whose purposes include the advancement of religion) (not supported). - Endowment of any school or institution providing further education (not supported). - Assistance to any Housing Association (not supported). - CICs without an asset lock clause (not supported). Eligible CICs must have at least three unrelated committee members, and/or the majority of the committee must be unrelated. - Trips abroad, vehicles, activities that duplicate existing services (not supported). - Input VAT reclaimable from HMRC (not supported). - Payments reimbursed or to be reimbursed by other public or private sector funding (not supported). - Contributions in kind (goods or services instead of money) (not supported). - Interest payments and certain other financial costs (not supported). - Entertaining (as defined in the source) (not supported). - Statutory/criminal fines or penalties (not supported). - Liabilities incurred before the issue of an award (not supported). - Use of funding to top up reserves (not supported). - Organisations adopting a partisan political stance or party political activities; and organisations that advocate the use of violence to campaign or influence public opinion (not supported). Re-application rule - Applicants that currently hold a live grant are not eligible to re-apply in any new round until all outstanding information is provided for the current grant, including details of spend and monitoring (as stated in the source). Eligible Activities or Priority Areas Applicants must address one or more of the following priority areas (as listed in the source): - Community cohesion and engagement - Energy efficiency and sustainability - Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community - Training and education - Environmental benefit - Economic benefit Why This Opportunity Matters This fund is specifically designed for local community benefit tied to the Dunbeg Wind Farm area. If your organisation is based within the defined 6-mile radius and your project supports the listed community, sustainability, training, environmental, or economic priorities, the Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund provides a structured route to request grant support from CFNI. How to Apply The source indicates that CFNI uses a new Fundseeker Portal for applications and monitoring. - Read the “How to Apply” guide if this is your firs