Coleraine Future Town Fund – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the Coleraine Future Town Fund (CFTF)?

The Coleraine Future Town Fund is a £20 million, ten‑year investment programme designed to support the regeneration of Coleraine. It aims to fund projects that strengthen the town centre, support communities, encourage business growth, improve public spaces, and build pride in Coleraine as a place to live, work and visit.

2. Who is responsible for delivering the programme?

The funding is managed locally by the CFTF Neighbourhood Board, supported by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council as the Accountable Body. The Board includes representation from community organisations, local businesses, public agencies, councillors, and the local MP.

3. What stage is the programme at now?

The Board has completed key programme milestones including its first phase of community engagement and submission of the Coleraine 10‑Year Vision and Regeneration Plan to Government before Christmas 2025. The UK Government is currently assessing the Coleraine 10 year plan, and based on this will issue a Memorandum of Understanding for the first 4 year Investment plan in March 2026.

The programme has now moved into the co‑design phase, where emerging projects and ideas are being developed, tested and refined with the community before being prioritised for investment.

4. When will funding become available?

Funding will be released in phases over the ten‑year life of the programme, with an initial first 4 year investment plan followed by a further two 3 year investment plan periods. The 4 year Investment Plan period commences from 1st April 2026 and will run until 31st March 2030.

5. How much funding is available?

The UK Government has indicated that an annual funding allocation will be paid to the Coleraine Future Town Fund with a 75% allocation for Capital projects, and a 25% allocation for Revenue projects.

Where relevant individual project funding calls are expected to begin following the assessment and scoring of the first set of co‑designed projects. All information on funding amounts available for specific projects will be published on the CFTF webpage and shared widely with community and voluntary organisations and local businesses.

5. What types of projects will be funded?

Specific projects for funding have still to be decided by the CFTF Board, however any projects funded must align with the Pride in Place programme’s core objectives: Thriving Places, Stronger Communities, and Taking Back Control.

Based on the community engagement feedback to date this could potentially cover a wide range of project ideas, including:

Supporting Coleraine town‑centre

Business growth and new commercial activity

Community hubs, cultural spaces and arts venues

Heritage projects

Tourism and riverfront development

Skills, wellbeing, safety and connectivity projects

6. Who can apply for funding?

This will be decided by the CFTF Board once priority projects have been identified, however where applicable each project and programme will specify eligibility criteria and priority areas. This may include for example:

Community and voluntary organisations

Local businesses

Social enterprises

Property owners

Public agencies

Partnerships combining several of the above

7. How will projects be selected for investment?

All projects identified through the community engagement and consultation will go through a transparent assessment and scoring process, which will ensure that projects will be ranked and prioritised across the three investment plan periods.

A ‘Plan on a Page’ outline project plan is currently being developed for each emerging project idea and will form the basis for assessment by the CFTF Board.

8. How can I get involved or share my ideas?

There are currently multiple opportunities to get involved in the co-design engagement stage to help shape and inform project ideas, including:

Engagement sessions

Surveys

Themed workshops led by sub‑groups

Stakeholder meetings

Project co‑design activities

All events will be advertised on the CFTF webpage and Council channels.

9. Will the community continue to be involved during delivery?

Yes. The CFTF programme is built on a co‑design approach, meaning the community remains involved throughout idea development, design, testing, delivery and evaluation.

10. Where can I find updates?

Regular updates will be shared on:

  • The CFTF webpage
  • The CFTF Newsletter
  • Council social media channels
  • Local press releases
  • Public engagement events
  • Community newsletters