The James Kane Foundation was established in 2016 and is funded through the legacy of the late James (Jim) Walker Kane, owner of JW Kane Precision Engineering Limited. The James Kane Foundation objects in their Articles of Association are:
“to advance education for the public benefit in Portadown and its environs in particular and elsewhere in Northern Ireland whether directly to individuals or indirectly through education bodies such as schools, colleges or third level institutions or employers by the provision of funding for work experience, employment opportunities or training opportunities or for the preparation for entry to any occupation, vocation, trade or profession or to enhance career development, skills and competencies within the area of benefit provided that the funding will not be used for anything which schools or colleges have a statutory duty to provide”.
The Foundation is governed by an experienced Board of Trustees, with a background in business and education. The Trustees collectively make decisions about grant giving and support. The Foundation is administered by the Belfast Charitable Society, who support the Trustees to deliver on the Foundation’s aims and objects.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Foundation supports applications that are aligned to its mission “to progress and facilitate education and career opportunities”.
- Activity must fall into one or both of the following themes:
Theme 1 – enabling STEM related education and career opportunities.
Theme 2 – enabling students to make informed choices between employment/career and higher-level education pathways.
- The Foundation is open to applications from the following:
- education bodies including schools, colleges and third level institutions,
- employers including private sector companies, and
- charities and social enterprises.
- Priority may be given to projects that benefit those living in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council area.
- The Foundation seeks additionality in all projects that it funds.
The Foundation will not fund projects which Trustees believe:
- are the responsibility of local authorities or government and which they have a statutory obligation to provide,
- create duplication in an area, whether geographic or thematic.
Applicants should note the following.
- The Foundation intends to allocate approximately £400,000 per year and will consider multi-year funding. 75% of the budget will be allocated to large grants, and 25% to small grants under £25,000. For information on previously funded projects please visit Our Projects page.
- Grants can be used in conjunction with other funding sources already secured. The Foundation is also willing to work in partnership with other organisations/funders to maximise impact and resources.
- The Foundation can fund the same organisation more than once but may not do so in the same/single cycle of funding. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Application should only be made on the forms provided. The format (font, size, text boxes etc) should not be changed in any way.
- Any applications that have been reformatted or are received in other formats will not be accepted.
- Throughout the Expression of Interest and Application Form a maximum number of words is stated for many questions. Do not exceed the maximum word count for responses where this is indicated. Any information provided outside these limits may be deemed to be ineligible and will not be considered.
- No additional papers, other than the supporting documentation requested, should be submitted.
- The information provided as part of the application may be made available to other funders, government departments and/or agencies for the purposes of audit, research, meeting statutory obligations and preventing or detecting crime.
Application Process
The application process comprises two stages:
(a) Stage 1 – Expression of Interest – provides an opportunity for applicants to put forward their project concept and provide relevant supporting information.
Requested supporting information at Stage 1 is:
– copy of governing document eg constitution, articles of association, trust deed
– most recent Annual Report, or recent minutes if your organisation is less than 1 year old
– copy of most recent audited/independently verified accounts. Management accounts are required if funding requested is above £100,000
– confirmation an up-to-date safeguarding policy is in place
– confirmation adequate insurance is in place to cover liabilities.
The deadline for submission of Expression of Interest is Friday 28 November 2025 by 12.00 noon.
Please note
(i) If the Expression of Interest and/or supporting information is incomplete, the application will not be assessed and will be rejected.
(ii) The Expression of Interest and supporting information undergo assessment and is either rejected or proceeds to Stage 2 – Application.
Applicants will be notified of decision approximately 8-10 weeks after the deadline for submission of Expression of Interest.
Download the Expression of Interest form here:
(b) Stage 2 – Application – If proceeding to Stage 2, applicants will be provided with an application form for completion, along with a list of required further supporting information.
Requested supporting information at Stage 2 is:
– Copy of most recent bank statement (within the last three months).
– Copy of job description(s) and personnel specification if funding for salary is requested.
– Confirmation consent is in place for your data to be shared.
– Confirmation you will ensure consent is provided by beneficiaries for their data to be shared.
Date for submission for the Application is Friday 30 January 2026 by 12.00 noon.
Please note
(i) If the Application and/or supporting information is incomplete, the application will not be assessed and will be rejected.
(ii) The Application and supporting information undergo assessment and is either successful or rejected.
Applicants will be notified of decision approximately 8-10 weeks after the deadline for submission of Application.
The decision of the James Kane Foundation both at Stage 1 and Stage 2 is final and there is no right of appeal.
Funding will be available from June 2026 and will align to the James Kane Foundation financial year 2026-2027.
Submission
Completed Expression of Interest / Application Form should be emailed to manager@jameskanefoundation.org
Please mark email James Kane Foundation EOI or James Kane Foundation Application, as relevant.
Applications received after the closing date and time will not be accepted in any circumstances.
Applications will not be acknowledged, and it is recommended applicants track delivery by requesting a delivery receipt when sending the email.
It is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure that all supporting documents are submitted and valid, and that the Expression of Interest / Application Form are completed correctly and in full. Failure to do so may result in the application being deemed ineligible.
Letter of Offer
A letter of offer will be emailed to successful applicants outlining terms and conditions of funding. By signing and returning the Acceptance of Grant form successful applicants confirm their agreement to abide by and fulfill all conditions of the Letter of Offer.
Communications
Successful applicants must meet conditions in relation to communications as outlined in the letter of offer. They must ensure funding is acknowledged publicly. Prior to issue of the first grant payment, successful applicants are required to email their logo, a short quote from a key spokesperson for the project and provide information on how it is intended support from James Kane Foundation will be promoted throughout project lifetime.
Monitoring
At Expression of Interest stage and Application stage, the applicant must be clear about what the project is trying to achieve. At each stage the applicant will be required to outline projected outputs and outcomes. These should be carefully considered as the applicant will be monitored on achievement.
Outputs are made up of (a) how much will you do eg how many beneficiaries to be supported, how many activities/workshops/events will be delivered, how many schools you will engage etc and (b) how well you will do it eg % of beneficiaries completing project, % achieving qualifications. See below.
| Category | Outputs |
| Example – community engagement | Example – 10 community groups engaged. |
Outcomes highlight how beneficiaries are better off as a result of participating/ completing the project. List how you will measure change eg surveys, case studies etc. See below
| Outcome Area | Outcome Description | Measurement Method(s) |
| Example – confidence | Example – 75% of beneficiaries increased confidence | Example – pre/post surveys |
Reporting & Closure
Successful applicants will be required to report on achievement through progress reports which are tied to project payments. Progress reports will highlight expenditure to date, publicity undertaken and progress against outputs and outcomes. Successful applicants will also provide final report on project completion demonstrating impact and achievement of outputs/outcomes. Submission of the final report is tied to last payment for the project. It is expected the final report will be submitted within 1 month of project end, with a maximum of 3 months provided if required.