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Belfast City Council's popular Bank of Ideas scheme is back for 2026, offering £50,000 to fund creative community projects across the city, including North Belfast. Residents, schools, and groups can submit their innovative ideas by March 23rd, with the public voting on their favourites in May. This is a brilliant opportunity to bring your local initiatives to life and celebrate the vibrancy of our neighbourhoods.
2026/01/29
Good news for North Belfast! 's popular 'Bank of Ideas' scheme has returned for 2026, offering a fantastic opportunity for local residents, schools, and community groups to bring their creative projects to life. With an impressive £50,000 of funding up for grabs, this initiative puts the power in your hands, allowing the public to decide which innovative concepts get the green light.
Whether you're passionate about art clubs, keen to organise dance workshops, plan a local sports day, or simply want to host a neighbourhood meet-up, the Bank of Ideas welcomes all creative suggestions. This year, there's a special focus on projects that align with the 'celebrating together' theme of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which will bring huge crowds to Belfast from 2-9 August. This is an incredible chance for North Belfast to showcase its unique vibrancy and diversity, contributing to the city-wide celebrations.
Submitting your brilliant idea is straightforward! You can share your concept online, and to help you refine your proposal, free 'idea generating' workshops will be taking place across Belfast during February and March. Make sure to get your submissions in by the closing date of 5pm on Monday 23 March. Shortly after, projects that meet the criteria will be invited to showcase their ideas at a special voting day in City Hall in May.
At the voting day, members of the public will have the direct say, casting their votes for their favourite ideas. A minimum of 35 projects are set to receive support, with up to £2,500 available for each successful concept. All chosen projects are expected to take place between June and September 2026, bringing fresh energy and creativity to our local areas.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a real difference in North Belfast! For more information, to find workshop dates and times, and to submit your idea, visit the website at /culturefunding. Let's get those brilliant ideas flowing and make 2026 a fantastic year for community creativity!