Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced that seven projects will proceed to the next stage of the Northern Ireland Football Fund Grassroots Facilities Programme.

A total of 42 applications were received for the pilot programme. Five club or facility-led projects and two council-led projects have been selected for due diligence checks.

The club and facility-led applicants are Crewe United Football & Social Club, Colin Valley Football Club, Cookstown Youth FC, Dungiven Celtic Youth Football Club and NFC Kesh. The two council-led applicants are Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Belfast City Council.

The Department for Communities will now engage with the successful applicants to carry out due diligence checks on the legal and financial feasibility of each project. Subject to successful completion of these checks, the first projects could reach funding agreements later this calendar year.

The programme is part of a £9 million investment aimed at improving grassroots football facilities across Northern Ireland. The department has stated that the programme will create more opportunities to play, improve the quality of the football experience and provide infrastructure that can meet growing demand.

All applicants have been notified of the outcome. The announcement does not include details on the facilities covered by the council bids, the proposed works or individual funding amounts.