The Activate programme is now closed!

Unfortunately, as indicated in our Guidance Notes, we have had to close the Activate programme before the 20th March 2023. This is due to reaching our maximum funding budget. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Project Re-Boot: Activate

Project Re-Boot: Activate is the next phase of funding to help clubs and community groups Build Back Better. This investment programme has been set up to support the sports sector through the ongoing coronavirus crisis in Northern Ireland. You need a crowdfunding project to apply for funding. Start creating your campaign project at Start crowdfunding | Crowdfunder UK and, if eligible, you’ll be prompted to apply. Have a look at the videos below which will explain the process in more detail. This investment aims to support projects and initiatives that are creative and innovative and will engage or re-engage people back into sport, specifically those who have been most adversely affected by the pandemic. Applications should focus particularly on people from at least one of the following priority groups:

  • Women & girls;
  • People with disabilities;
  • People with long term limiting illness;
  • Children & young people – especially those aged between 11-18 years;
  • Older people aged over 50;
  • Ethnically diverse communities;
  • People on a low income;
  • Families;
  • People living in areas of greatest need.
  • People living in rural areas

Our match investment, of up to £5,000, aims to help the sports sector on the road to recovery.

To be eligible to apply you must be one of the following organisations:

  • A constituted sports club which is affiliated to a governing body of sport recognised by Sport NI, you can find the most recent list of recognised governing bodies on our website at www.governingbodies.com
  • A community/voluntary organisation sector organisation that delivers or enables sport and/or physical recreation as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.
  • A charitable trust that delivers or enables sport and/or physical recreation as your primary activity. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.
  • A constituted Parent Teachers Association (PTA) that delivers or enables new/additional extra-curricular sport and/or physical recreation including residentials. Sports and activities must be recognised by Sport NI.

Pledge Criteria: If your application is approved, you will get match funding of either 50% or 60% (depending on your organisations postcode), up to a maximum of £5,000. If your organisations postcode indicates that you are from a rural area in the rural/urban classification AND/OR ranks in the lowest 25% of the deprivation index (rank 222 or lower) as stated on the NISRA website, you will be eligible to receive match funding of 60%. All other applicants will be eligible for match funding of 50%. This offer will be valid for 4 weeks after the date of notification, if you do not launch your crowdfunding campaign within 4 weeks of notification the offer will be rescinded. Following approval for funding, if you wish to make any changes to your campaign target, or any significant changes to your rewards or other page content you must notify us. What’s new for 2022-23:

  • Applicants must identify their club or organisation/association has been affected by Covid-19 and how the project will help to overcome this.
  • Proposed projects must be new or additional to what your club or organisation/association normally delivers on a day-to-day basis.
  • Projects based in rural areas or those within areas of highest deprivation can receive 60% match funding from Sport NI (up to a maximum of £5,000)
  • Projects requesting the maximum match funding must include a project video within their campaign providing information on their specific project.
  • Clubs and organisations can only have one application to the programme and all projects must be completed by 30th June 2023.

To receive a pledge, you will need to do two things (the ‘fund conditions’): 1) Raise at least 25% of your initial target, 2) Raise this from a minimum number of supporters. To verify whether supporters are unique we will take account of information including, but not limited to: name, address, email addresses and payment card used.

The minimum number of unique supporters required is 25: Following receipt of a pledge you will also need to reach 100% of your initial funding target to receive the funds from Sport Northern Ireland. If the project fails to reach 100% of the target the Sport Northern Ireland pledge will be rescinded.

Note – Sport Northern Ireland reserve the right to vary these pledge criteria; projects will be notified if their pledge criteria will vary from the stated terms above.

Before completing your application, you will need to read the full Eligibility and Pledge Criteria as detailed in the programme guidance document on our website. Funded projects will be required to agree to the terms and conditions of award.

For a list of Recognised Governing Bodies of sport please click here Applicants will be offered support during the application process. Sport NI staff will be on hand to answer any questions or queries that you may have. Crowdfunder will deliver a suite of online training tutorials and videos which will guide applicants from developing your initial project idea, right through to delivery.

Have you got questions? Get in touch via e-mail: projectreboot@sportni.net

Please see some examples of past case studies below:

Rathfriland Boxing Club – Crowdfunder Activate

Healthy Kidz – Crowdfunder Activate


Get inspired! Watch how other projects made their campaign a success: Activate video library

This project has been made possible thanks to the support from The National Lottery and the National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million every week for good causes.