UK Connect Fund Round 3 opens: £300–£50,000 for Northern Ireland–Great Britain community partnerships

Updated 2 November 2026. Prepared with AI assistance; independent human editorial review has not been confirmed. The third application round of the Northern Ireland Office's Connect Fund opened on Monday, 2 November 2026, according to the UK government's live

What happened and why it matters

Updated 2 November 2026. Prepared with AI assistance; independent human editorial review has not been confirmed. The third application round of the Northern Ireland Office's Connect Fund opened on Monday, 2 November 2026, according to the UK government's live grant listing. This is a new funding window for an existing programme, not the launch of a new organisation or a claim that awards have already been made. The Northern Ireland Office also added Round 3 application guidance to its official programme page on 2 November. An earlier government announcement appeared on 2 October 2026, and Fermanagh Enterprise outlined the forthcoming round on 27 October.

What support is available?

Community and voluntary organisations can seek £300 to £50,000 per project. The Northern Ireland Office said the third round had £500,000 available when it announced the reopening in October. That round-specific figure should not be confused with the larger, multi-year total cited on the government's programme pages. An application is a request for consideration, not a guaranteed award. The purpose is practical collaboration between organisations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Eligible ideas can include cultural or sporting exchanges, sustained civic relationships, community leadership development, and constructive work on issues that affect communities across these areas. Both one-off activities and longer partnerships may qualify when they meet the published criteria.

Who can apply, and what are the restrictions?

The official listing names registered charities, voluntary and community organisations, constituted clubs, certain not-for-profit companies, Community Interest Companies and statutory bodies among potential applicants. Organisations must be established for public benefit, and the proposal must directly benefit people in Northern Ireland. Generally, a Northern Ireland applicant should work with a partner in Great Britain, while a Great Britain applicant should work with a Northern Ireland partner; the guidance allows some exceptions for standalone activities. Individuals and sole traders are not eligible, nor are organisations based outside the UK. The scheme excludes capital expenditure and ordinary core operating costs. Project-related staffing may be eligible within a 20% cap on total project cost. The official eligibility and safeguarding requirements should be read before budgeting or sharing information with a potential partner.

Dates and the practical next step

The application window runs from 2 November to 18 December 2026, with submissions due by 17:00 UK time on 18 December. Project delivery is scheduled between 1 April 2027 and 31 March 2028, and applicants are expected to hear outcomes in early March 2027. Previous recipients may apply again, but an organisation cannot maintain multiple live applications under the scheme. The useful first step for a community organisation is to identify a genuine counterpart across Northern Ireland and Great Britain, agree the shared purpose and responsibilities, and then check the live requirements on the government's Find a Grant page. The listing links to the official application route and supporting documentation. The separate application form was not independently tested during this editorial check, so applicants should follow the government's current instructions rather than rely on a third-party submission link.

Sources and verification

• UK Government Find a Grant, Connect Fund Round 3, live listing checked 2 November 2026: https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/connect-fund-1 • Northern Ireland Office, Connect Fund programme guidance, updated 2 November 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-connect-fund • Northern Ireland Office, announcement published 2 October 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/connect-fund-to-offer-up-to-500k-for-northern-ireland-and-gb-voluntary-and-community-groups • Fermanagh Enterprise, independent local enterprise notice published 27 October 2026: https://www.fermanaghenterprise.com/connect-fund-reopens-for-applications-in-november-2026/ Verification note (2 November 2026): the new event is the application window opening and the updated government guidance. Earlier notices are identified with their original publication dates. A year typo in one summary line of the government grant listing is contradicted by its detailed dates and the Northern Ireland Office announcement, which both give 2026. This article does not imply a grant award, a confirmed applicant, or an organised public gathering.

Prepared with AI assistance; independent human editorial review has not been confirmed.