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Environment Fund – Water Quality Improvement Strand (Northern Ireland)

Grants now open to support local action improving water quality across Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency launched the 2026/27 call for applications to the Water Quality Improvement Strand of the Environment Fund.

The fund supports not-for-profit organisations and local councils to deliver projects that improve the local water environment, encourage positive behaviour change, and increase community engagement with rivers, loughs and coastal waters across Northern Ireland.

Grants of £5,000 to £30,000 are available, covering up to 85 per cent of eligible project costs. Funded projects are expected to run from spring 2026 to February 2027.

The key areas for funding under the Water Quality Improvement strand are:

Connecting people with the aquatic environment to achieve behavioural change
Conservation, Protection and Restoration of our Aquatic environments
Nature-based solutions, particularly for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Submitting an application

If you are an eligible organisation with an interest and passion to deliver improvements in your local water environment, then now is the time to apply for your project

Submit your application form to catchmentplanning@daera-ni.gov.uk no later than 23:59h on Wednesday 18 February 2026.

Further guidance and information

Full guidance, eligibility details and application information are available on the DAERA website: Environment Fund – Water Quality Improvement Strand | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Please note the awarding of any funding is subject to departmental budgets being approved. By applying to the fund there is no guarantee that you will be successful, and any costs incurred in submitting an application will not be re-imbursed.

If you wish to discuss your project proposal with your NIEA Catchment Officer they can be contacted by email RiverBasinPlanning@daera-ni.gov.uk

Learn more

Environment Fund – Water Quality Improvement Strand – Information Webcast: Environment Fund – Water Quality Improvement Strand – Information Webcast | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.