NIEA Natural Heritage Grants Programme Opens

03 June 2010

The revised NI Environment Agency (NIEA) Natural Heritage Grants Programme is open for applications.

Application Forms along with a new optional pre-application forms are available for downloading from the NIEA grants website www.ni-environment.gov.uk/funding/htm.

Closing dates for applications:
Submission of Pre-Application Forms (optional but advised) - Tuesday 29 June 2010
All full grant applications (including Small Grants) - 4pm Friday 21 August 2010

This is a competitive grant programme. There are normally many more applications than the budget can support. In the 2009 competition approximately half of the applications were received were awarded some grant aid support. Successful projects will be those which will help to achieve the priorities identified. These are outlined on this web site and in the appendices of the NHGP Guidance Notes.

It is strongly recommended to submit a Pre-Application form to improve the competition process. Whilst you are encouraged to submit this form, you may submit a full application without submitting the pre-application form.

The next Natural Heritage Grant Programme round of funding is expected to open in spring 2011 however the way in which Natural Heritage provides support to others to help deliver Natural Heritage’s objectives is being reviewed this year. The format of any available funding may therefore change in the future. As a result, while some projects may receive grant aid support for 3 years under the current competition, awards to other projects support for a shorter period such as 1 or 2 years may be offered, even if you apply for 3 years.

All grant queries should be sent to the grant email box – nhgrants@doeni.gov.uk

Grant Programme staff are also available to help applicants with queries and can be contacted at:
Maia Taylor – Grants Programme Manager – 028 9056 69621
Niall McAleenan – Access Grants – 028 9056 9580
John Farren – Biodiversity Grants – 028 9056 9612
Peter Turner – Economic Appraisals and financial issues – 028 9056 9610
Ken Wooster – Administrative queries – 028 9056 9600