Fermanagh Rural Community Network wish to remind you that the DAERA Rural Micro Capital Grants Scheme (RMCGS) 2025/2026 is now open for applications until 12pm midday on Monday 22nd June 2026.
The RMCGS is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) under the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme and is being delivered in the Fermanagh and Omagh area by Fermanagh Rural Community Network (FRCN) and Omagh Forum for Rural Associations (OFRA).
Key Objectives
The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2026/27 has been designed to:
Help rural community-led, voluntary organisations to address local issues of access poverty, financial poverty, and social isolation;
Improve the lives of those in rural communities, and in particular the wellbeing of isolated individuals; and,
Provide an opportunity to implement energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements.
These objectives help deliver on the NI Executive Programme for Government (PfG) 2024/2027(external link opens in a new window / tab) which aims to build stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural communities where people want to live, work, visit and invest and DAERA’s own vision for ‘Developing a Net Zero nature positive future, supporting sustainable agriculture and thriving rural communities’.
The Grant Scheme
Micro Capital grants between £500 and £2,500 are available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation, and / or implementing energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements.
Projects must focus on one of the following four themes:
Energy Efficiency: E.g., upgrade of lighting, windows, doors, and insulation.
Environmental Improvement: may include the purchase of gardening equipment.Modernisation (of existing building): structural work (requires a lease*), other examples include white goods, tables, chairs.
Information Communication Technology: IT equipment including PC’s/Laptops, PA Systems.
Health and Wellbeing: any capital item that aims to improve people’s wellbeing.
*Works that alter the structure or fabric of the building and includes where an item such as a dishwasher, cooker requires new plumbing or wiring that will result in alterations to the structure or fabric of the building.
The RMCGS can offer grant aid from 50% up to 85% of the total eligible cost of your project. NB: The total project cost cannot exceed £5,000.
You can purchase whatever number of items you require to meet your groups needs, provided the total cost does not exceed £5,000. And you can purchase items from multiple suppliers.
Match funding for your contribution of at least 15% must be in the form of a ‘cash’ contribution. Labour or ‘in-kind’ contributions will not be accepted.
In order to ensure that as many organisations as possible get the opportunity to benefit from this Scheme, organisations can only make one application to the Scheme.
What can be funded?
Grant aid can be used to meet costs associated with implementing environmental improvements / energy efficiency measures that provide savings both in emissions and energy costs, the purchase of capital equipment, the improvement of a capital asset and / or the extension of the useable life of a capital asset. Organisations can apply for a wide range of capital items, such as office equipment, furniture, kitchen fittings, and minor capital improvements
Eligible items must clearly relate to the key themes of
(i) Implement energy efficiency **/ environmental improvements measures***
(ii) Modernisation,
(iii) ICT, or
(iv) Health & Wellbeing.
**To encourage local communities to implement energy efficiency / environmental improvements eligible costs may include, e.g., draft proofing, double glazed windows, change of lighting to LED, light sensors/timers, insulation.
***Environmental improvements. Eligible costs may include the purchase of gardening equipment, e.g., tunnel kits, pots, spades, and hoes. A maximum of 15% of the overall project costs may be used to purchase plants, trees, hedges, flowers etc. (Plants / shrubs / flowers must be perennial, i.e., plants that live multiple seasons).
Online Application Form Link
Guidance Notes and the Online Application Form are available at the following links:
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/services/rural-micro-capital-grants-scheme-rmcgs-202627
https://digitalapps2.daera-ni.gov.uk/RMCGS/StartPage
Please read the Guidance Notes, before starting your organisations RMCGS application as there are a number of changes from previous schemes.
If you require any further information or advice, please contact us in Fermanagh Rural Community Network on 028 6632 7006 or by email: info@fermanaghrcn.org