# Bank calls for skills and opportunities applications - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/23/bank-calls-skills-opportunities-applications/ - Published: 2016-08-23T08:13:18+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **The Ulster Bank has opened the second round of its Skills & Opportunities Fund which supports skills development and self help projects throughout the UK and Ireland.** The total allocation for the Fund is £2.5 million in 2016, with approximately half this sum being allocated in this round. The Fund says its funding is to support organisations that help people in disadvantaged communities develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to help themselves; skills that will enable them to get into work or start a business, now or in the future. ## Advertisement Funding will be allocated on the basis of seven regions, each with its own decision making board and differing priorities recognising regional differences. Grants up to a maximum of £35,000 are available. However, the Fund states that while it will accept applications for varying sizes in Ireland it will particularly welcome applications for smaller grants ranging from £1000 upwards. Projects which do not get a grant can be helped in other ways, according to the Fund. This might include offering skills and expertise to help get projects off the ground. Applications for round 2 of the [Skills & Opportunities Fund](http://www.skillsandopportunitiesfund.ulsterbank.com) are open until midday 9th September 2016. * **[Community health funding available in Northern Ireland](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/09/06/community-health-funding-available-northern-ireland/)**( 6 September 2016) * **[Shops trading helps to boost income for Action Cancer](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/09/07/shops-trading-helps-boost-income/)**( 7 September 2016) * **[New partnership to grow charitable giving in N Ireland](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/10/11/new-partnership-grow-charitable-giving-n-ireland/)**( 11 October 2016) ![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader- 2x.gif)