Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launched applications for the Grassroots Facilities Programme pilot at Wellington Rec FC in Larne. The initiative, under the Northern Ireland Football Fund, carries an indicative £9 million budget. It targets six projects for pitches, changing facilities, and infrastructure, with grants from £500,000 to £1.5 million starting in the 2026/2027 financial year.

Nearly 600 clubs affiliated to the Irish Football Association qualify as grassroots, defined as those ineligible for the Performance Programme launched on 30 January 2025. Applications divide into two streams. Stream 1 accepts clubs owning facilities or planning ownership before funding agreements, closing 15 April 2026. Stream 2 permits councils, alone or with clubs, to apply, with one entry per council among Northern Ireland's 11 councils, closing 29 April 2026.

Facilities require freehold ownership or leases lasting to at least 1 February 2052. Schools and Education Authority sites cannot apply. Department for Communities officials plan information sessions to aid applications.

The Performance Programme has 20 projects advancing to business cases after initial reviews. The department works with the Irish FA on a business case for a National Football Centre.