Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Equality Act 1998 requires Sport Northern Ireland, while carrying out its functions, to have:
Public authorities are also required to produce an Equality Scheme which explains how they intend to fulfil these duties. The Equality Scheme Action Plan is the output document of the equality commitments we have made.
Sport Northern Ireland’s Equality Scheme sets out how we intend to comply with these duties, including the screening of policies for equality implications, conducting equality impact assessments, maintaining a register of organisations and individuals with whom we will consult in respect of equality of opportunity.
Download Sport Northern Ireland’s most recent equality-related publications:
Disability Action Plan Rural Needs Impact Assessment
S75 screening: Disability Plan 25 26
Sport-NI-Environmental-Climate-Change-Policy
S75-Screening-Environmental-Climate-Change-Policy
Sport Northern Ireland Section 75 Equality Consultation
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and commitments made within our published Equality Scheme, Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) currently is consulting on the equality screening, Equality Impact Assessments, as identified below of the following new or significantly revised policies and plans attached. This also contains Rural Needs Impact Assessments.
Sport NI would welcome your views on the outcome of the screening process, or Equality Impact Assessment Process in relation to our Section 75 obligations and in particular Sport NI’s statutory duties: (i) to promote equality of opportunity between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation; between men and women generally; between persons with a disability and persons without; and between persons with dependents and persons without; (ii) to promote good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.
Responses should be submitted to:
A Campbell
The House of Sport
2a Upper Malone Road
Belfast
BT9 5LA
Or via email to alicampbell@sportni.net
If you would like the opportunity to meet with a member of Sport Northern Ireland to discuss any of the above policies, please contact A Campbell.
The closing dates for submissions are identified below.
Community Planning Investment Programme 2025/26
The aim of the Community Planning Investment Programme is to increase participation in sport and physical activity by supporting local councils to deliver inclusive, community-based projects. These projects are co-designed to respond to local priorities and tackle barriers to participation, including those experienced by rural dwellers. The programme promotes social inclusion, health and well-being, and accessible, no-cost or low-cost physical activity, especially for underrepresented groups.
In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
Uploaded: 30th July 2025
Section 75 Screening and EQIA Document for Community Investment Programme 2025/26
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Community Investment Programme 2025/26
Closing Date: 22nd October 2025
Special Olympics Ireland 2025/26
The investment will deliver sporting activities to people with learning disability across Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on participation in sport, thereby improving physical and mental health, educational attainment, while supporting volunteers and helping to address social exclusion.
In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
Uploaded:
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Special Olympics Ireland Investment 2025/26
Section 75 Screening and EQIA Document for Special Olympics Ireland Investment 2025/26.
Closing Date:
Outscape Investment 2025/26
Support for the delivery of the Outdoor Recreation Action Plan (2025–2026) through investment into Outscape.
The 6 key themes highlighted in the ORAP are noted below, within each of these themes are a number of actions please see the link below: Structures and Partnerships/ Legislation, Policy and Responsibilities/ Making the Outdoors More Accessible/ Investment of Time, Energy and Resources/ Communication, Marketing and Promotion and Research and Monitoring.
https://www.sportni.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Our-Great-Outdoors.pdf
In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
Uploaded:
Section 75 Screening Document for Outscape Investment 2025/26
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Outscape Investment 2025/26
Closing date:
Special Olympics Investment Revised for 2024-2025
The purpose of this specific project is to provide investment into Special Olympics Ireland to deliver sporting activities to people with learning disabilities across Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on participation in sport, thereby improving physical and mental health, improving educational attainment, supporting volunteers, and helping to address social exclusion.
Uploaded 11th March 2025:
Section 75 Screening Document for Special Olympics Ireland 24-25
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Special Olympics Investment 2024/25
Closing date: 6th June 2025
Renewable Energy Fund Programme 2023/24
The Renewable Energy Fund is a pilot initiative that sets out to reduce the environmental impact of sports clubs in Northern Ireland. The programme will provide financial support to sports clubs for the development and implementation of energy projects which are likely to have a positive impact on their environmental sustainability. In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes of this programme by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
Uploaded: 3rd August 2023
Section 75 Screening Document for the Renewable Energy Fund 2023/24
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for the Renewable Energy Fund 2023/24
Appendix 1 attached to Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for the Renewable Energy Fund 2023/24
Now closed.
Creating Opportunities Investment 2023
Sport NI has designed a programme of investment that will create opportunities to connect communities, enabling more people to take part in sport and physical activity throughout Northern Ireland. In particular, the project will focus on creating opportunities to ‘level the playing field’, to ensure accessibility and inclusion is felt and experienced by those who have been traditionally excluded from not only participating in sport but also taking up active roles in coaching, officiating and or leading as part of a Board.
This project will provide financial support to upskill and sustain the sporting workforce. In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes of this programme by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
Date Uploaded: 8th November 2023
Section 75 Screening Document for Creating Opportunities 2023
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Creating Opportunities Grants Programme 2023
Now Closed
District Councils Community Planning Programme 2023
Sport NI is a statutory partner in Community Planning, across all 11 District Councils in Northern Ireland. At the heart of Sport NI’s corporate plan ‘The Power of Sport’, is the ambition to increase and sustain participation in sport and physical activity through connected communities. Rates of participation in sport and physical activity vary with those most inactive coming from our most deprived communities and also many of our minority communities.
Community planning is an opportunity to work collaboratively with partners to make the greatest impact at community level and prioritising those who are in greatest need. This investment will deliver projects in sport and physical activity right at the heart of the community, in areas Local Authorities have prioritised. In line with the Sport NI Equality Scheme, you are invited to review the Section 75 and RNIA screening outcomes of this programme by clicking on the links below. We welcome any comments which should be forwarded to info@sportni.net
District Councils Community Planning Programme RNIA
Uploaded: 5th December 2023
Section 75 Screening Document for District Councils Community Planning Programme 2023
Rural Needs Impact Assessment form for District Councils Community Planning Programme 2023
Now Closed
Information will be made available on request in accessible formats such as Braille, audio formats and large print. Information will also be provided in minority languages to meet the needs of those who are not fluent in English.
You may also wish to view the Sports Council Equality Group’s (SCEG) Equality in Sport Website. This has been created to provide a wide range of equality-related material to assist all sporting organisations become more equitable and to provide a service to all sectors of the population.
Sports Systems Investment Programme 2023/24
We recognise the deep-rooted inequalities in sport, which mean people have been excluded because the right options and opportunities have not been there. This is at the heart of any future investment into the Sports System. Sports Governing bodies are central to the delivery of sport in Northern Ireland so we want to have real conversations to maximise their impact and help us understand and address these inequalities.
Uploaded:
Section 75 Screening Document for Sports Systems Investment Programme 2023/24
Appendix to Screening Document for Sports Systems Investment Programme 2023/24
Rural Needs Impact Assessment Document for Sporting Systems Investments Programme 2023/24 (upload)
Now Closed
Please contact Sport Northern Ireland should you require additional information or these reports in an alternative format: info@sportni.net
