February Creative Roundup – Funding and Opportunities for Creatives
Our latest roundup of opportunities for NI creatives
01. Techstart Regional Innovation Challenge
Techstart Ventures invites entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas to apply to the Regional Innovation Challenge, a Northern Ireland–wide grant competition designed to support founders at the earliest stage of development.
- Proof of Concept Grants of up to £15k each available.
- Multiple grants available per region.
- Open to novel, early-stage business ideas.
- Region-based competition structure delivered in partnership with local innovation hubs.
- Supported by Northern Ireland councils.
Deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 17th February 2026
02. Belfast Buildings Trust Creative Belfast internships
Belfast Buildings Trust is committed to putting paid creative internship opportunities at the centre of all our ‘Creative Belfast’ projects. Each project has its own designated internship roles, designed with project partners. The opportunities last for a few days, focused on the backstage creative skills required to make productions happen, including music making, costume design, lighting design, hair &makeup and more!
Deadline: 20th February 2026
03. Arc’teryx x Ori Women’s Creative Grant
Introducing the Arc’teryx x Ori Women’s Creative Grant, a storytelling initiative for women photographers, journalists, and artists around the world. @arcteryx and @ori_magazine are joining forces to provide one creative (or creative team) with funding up to $5,000 to produce an original story for Ori’s next print edition (dropping Spring 2026).
Ori is an award-winning travel and culture magazine that works with local creatives to tell their stories on a global scale. It appears in timeless print twice a year, helping build a sustainable ecosystem for storytellers around the world.
Deadline: 14th February 2026
04. Jerwood Foundation 2026 Funding
Jerwood Foundation supports excellence and emerging talent in the arts in the UK, and welcomes funding applications from organisations with a focus on making art available for public benefit, and also organisations interested in working with Jerwood Collection. Funding round is now open for applications (closing 2pm 18 March)
Deadline: 2pm, 18th March 2026
05. Atypical Generation Fund
The Atypical Generation Fund, a grant programme for artists in Northern Ireland who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. Atypical Generation Fund is the new name for the Deaf and Disabled Artist Support Fund (or DDASF). The fund is essentially the same: it offers £1000 grants to 20 artists with an idea of how they could use funding to develop their creative practice.
The Atypical Generation Fund welcomes applications from D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent artists throughout Northern Ireland. We particularly encourage applications from artists who are learning disabled, as this group of artists has been less represented in previous rounds.
Artists can work in any art form for example music, craft, circus, visual arts, creative writing, theatre performance.
You can seek funding for a wide range of purposes including costs towards hiring space, mentoring, materials, training or simply buying time to focus on their creative work.
Deadline: 10th March 2026
06.Bank of Ideas Funding
The Bank of Ideas is reopening for 2026! A way for the people of Belfast to propose and collectively decide on local creative projects for our city. The Bank of Ideas supports individuals and groups to bring their ideas for their local area to life with up to £2,500 per project.
Open to neighbours, friends, schools, clubs or one individual with an idea. All creative ideas are welcome – from recycling and baking to skateboarding and gardening – the theme for ideas is ‘Celebrating Together’.
This year ideas can be part of the celebrations for the Fleadh Cheoil as the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, which comes to Belfast from Sunday 2 August to Sunday 9 August 2026.
The Bank of Ideas is run through a Participatory Budgeting scheme, which means that decisions on funding are made by the public, as they vote for the ideas they want to be funded at a Voting Day in City Hall.
There will be Idea Generating and Info sessions all across the city, so come along for a chat if you’ve got a bit of an idea, maybe a few ideas or would just like to learn more.
Deadline: 5pm, 23rd March 2026
07. Dragons’ Den: Social Enterprise Edition
Are you a social enterprise with a big idea, or an early-stage organisation ready to take your next step? This is your chance to pitch, shine, and win tax free financial support that could transform your impact. Applications are open to social enterprises at any stage of their journey are invited to apply for a chance to win a prize fund of £3000.
Deadline: 5pm, 16th February 2026
08. QEST Grants for Makers and Conservators
QEST offers three grants to support makers and conservators at various career stages, strengthening the pipeline of talented craft professionals in the UK. They support contemporary and traditional craft, as well as the exploration of innovative techniques.
They provide funding for education and training, with Scholarships of up to £18,000, Emerging Maker grants of up to £10,000, and up to £12,000 towards an apprentice’s salary. Successful Scholars also get a place on the @cockpitstudios PDP.
Closing date: 18th February 2026
09. Belfast Photo Festival Call for Submissions
All submitting photographers receive:
- Submission review by a diverse jury of industry professionals
- Opportunities for project exposure across festival materials, our social network partnerships, website and press outreach
2026 Portfolio Review Discount
20 to 40 Finalist Photographers Receive:
- Print production and exposure at our city centre and outdoor galleries for an accessible one month exhibition run of over 100,000 visitors
- Permanent publication in the Festival programme, website and marketing materials
- Festival representation and promotion in our award winning media and PR campaign with combined reach of 115 million
- Participation and promotion in our Instagram residency
- Dedicated feature on the Festival website with full online gallery
- Inclusion in the Festival issue of Abridged Magazine
- Exclusive Interview with ‘All About Photo’ Magazine
- Partner exhibition and exposure at the 2027 Photo Schwiez Festival in Switzerland
Additional awards and cash prizes:
- Spotlight Award of £2,000 ( Approx $2,700 / €2,300)
- Abridged Editorial Award with full project feature
Deadline: 2nd March 2026
10. Call to Enter Cinemagic’s ‘On The Pulse’ 2026 competition For Young Filmmakers
Films are to be no longer than 30 minutes and the competition is only open to young filmmakers aged 20 and under from or living in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Deadline: 20th February 2026
