The revised NIEA Natural Heritage Grant Programme is now open for Grant Applications.  Please pass this information on to any other members of your organisation or contacts who may wish to avail of the grant programme.

The NHGP 2012 Guidance Notes are attached.  Information about the grant programme and all the relevant documents are available for downloading from the NIEA grants website www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/funding/natural_heritage_grants_programme.htm.

Closing dates for applications:

This is an annual competitive grant programme and there are normally more applications than the NHGP budget can support. Successful projects will be those which will most effectively help to achieve the priorities we have identified. These are outlined on this web site and in the NHGP 2012Funding Priorities document.  Funding priorities may vary from year to year.

The NHGP grant budget is limited. The current annual NHGP budget is approximately £1.8 million, although some of this budget is committed up to three years in advance. We expect the amount available for distribution through this competition for 2013/14 to be around £700,000.

We strongly recommend that you discuss your project proposal with a member of Natural Heritage staff prior to submitting a Pre–Application Form. Contact details can be provided by NHGP staff.

The NH Grant Team will use the information supplied in the Pre–Application Form to determine if your project qualifies as a priority for Natural Heritage funding.  If it may be, you will be allocated a Client Officer who will discuss your proposal with you to maximise the opportunities for your project to help NIEA to meet its priorities.  They will also advise you whether there are other organisations who are undertaking similar projects with whom you should be working in partnership. You will then be invited no later than 4 July 2012 to submit a full Grant Application Form.

The next Natural Heritage Grant Programme round of funding is expected to open in spring 2013.   Further information about how Natural Heritage provides support to others to help deliver Natural Heritage’s objectives, including proposed Partnership Agreements, will be available on this website in due course.

The targets for reviewing Grant Applications are as follows, but will depend on staffing levels and the number of Grant Applications received:

Please bear in mind that the Grant Team is small and will have a considerable workload to complete between August and December.  To assist them, you are asked to do the following:

·         Submit your Pre–Application Form and Grant Application Form as early as you can before the closing date so that the Grant Team can start the assessment process as soon as possible. 

·         Provide any additional information required by the Grant Team or answer any queries as quickly as possible.

·         If seeking ongoing funding, ensure that all reports produced for the previous project have been submitted to the Grant Team.

If you do not have computer access, we can post the NHGP forms and guidance documents to you. 

Grant queries can be sent to the Grant Team e–mail in–box at nhgrants@doeni.gov.uk

Grant Team staff are available to help Grant Applicants with queries:

Maia Taylor, Grants Programme Manager – 028 9056 69621

Niall McAleenan, Access Grants – 028 9056 9580

Cathy Barker, Biodiversity & Landscape Grants – 028 9056 9806

Peter Turner, Economic Appraisals and financial issues – 028 9056 9610

Ken Wooster, Administrative queries – 028 9056 9611