The European Union has committed to funding for cross-border peace projects post-Brexit.
€650m is to be invested in a new Peace Plus programme that will run from 2021-2027.
The money has been committed by the EU, the Irish and UK governments.
Planning for the new programme is beginning after a series of engagements with local communities took place over recent weeks.
Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), said that now the complex process to develop the content for the programme can begin.
"We start with the basis of the EU objectives, the framework that they outline for every programme across Europe. We look at those and then we look at the government policies in Northern Ireland, government policy in Ireland, priorities within their government policy and then we do the stake holder events," she said.
The stakeholder public meetings were held across Northern Ireland and the six southern border counties.
During January and February, 16 meetings took place with over 1,000 people attending the events.
Ms McIntyre said meetings were also held nearly every day with interested groups.
She said that government departments north and south of the border also have an important part to play in aligning policies and setting out their priorities.
The SEUPB then aligns those requirements with the EU framework and with what the body hears from the people at the public meetings, she added.
Cross-border and community programmes such as this have been running for over a quarter of a century but this is the first time they have merged and become one initiative.
Ms McIntyre said: "The Peace Programme has had an investment of over €2bn and the INTERREG Europe Programme has had an investment of over €1bn. This Peace Plus programme brings both of those programmes together.
"That's why we were getting all the feedback from stakeholders about environment, SME development, digital technologies, cross border healthcare because they're want we currently fund in the INTERREG Programme."
She said funding for those two programmes is worth €588m, but there will be a bigger investment for the new Peace Plus Programme.
"We have a commitment currently on the table of €650m for the Peace Plus Programme as a hybrid of those two programmes. We think that offer is a fantastic opportunity to be able to marry up peace and prosperity on an all island basis."
One example of how the funding has benefited local communities is the Sharing from the Start Scheme.
It is administered by Early Years working in collaboration with the National Childhood Network and the Fermanagh Trust and aims to reduce community divisions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The project works toward bringing about positive attitudinal and behavioural change among children, parents, teachers and the wider community.
It says research shows that children develop prejudices from an early age, which further highlights the need for shared education to improve community relations.
Audrey Rainey, Operations Manager for Sharing from the Start from Early Years, said the organisation received €4.2m of investment from the SEUPB under the Peace IV programme for the pre-school sector for Northern Ireland and border counties of the Republic.
"In Northern Ireland, partnerships are formed from settings from predominantly protestant and predominantly catholic coming together. In the Republic of Ireland, the eligibility criteria would be that settings come forward with socio-economic difference and newcomer families.
"You know, we know that there's been an influx of families into the southern border counties over the last number of years."
Ms Rainey said the real focus for the organsation has been around building community cohesion.
"It's not just about bringing children together in their local communities, but it's having that wider impact through purposeful and meaningful engagement on a sustained basis. That's only been possible through the investment that has been received from the SEUPB."
A recent Sharing from the Start event was held at Naíscoil Bheann Mhadagáin in north Belfast, with three local nursery schools taking part.
The funding has allowed the schools involved to host play sessions for children from Catholic, Protestant and newcomer families in the community.
While many children attending the session do not learn Irish at home, the teachers speak to the children in Irish when they visit the school.
Seosaimhín MacHamish is a teacher at Naíscoil Bheann Mhadagáin and works during the shared sessions.
She said this is the third year the school has taken part in the Shared Education programme.
"We have two other nurseries in the local community both coming from different backgrounds and we all come together several times a year through the Shared Education programme for these play sessions."
She said the sessions are really important and beneficial for the parents and staff as well as the children.
"Without the Shared Education programme, we wouldn't have an opportunity like this to come together. It's giving the children an opportunity to mix with children from other communities, and as well as that their families and for ourselves as well, the staff, its giving us an opportunity to work together with new nurseries that we haven't worked with in the past and develop new links."
Principal of Stanhope Street Nursery School in Belfast, Karen Timmons, said the school has a long tradition of taking part in similar schemes.
"Stanhope Street Nursery School has always been involved in cross community projects from when we opened in 1975.
"The money then dried up from the Department of Education and we were so disappointed that we didn't have the money to continue.
"So when this opportunity came up, the peace money came up, and we were offered to take part in this Sharing from the Start we jumped at the opportunity."
Ms Timmons added that she thinks it’s a very "natural project".
"It’s a very easy project. So the children are all very at ease and they're just doing what children do naturally. They're playing.
"We start off with bringing the children together in a very natural environment like the nursery school, so we go round to each of the nursery schools. They play together and then actually look forward to friendships that they've made.
"So, the children are in groups but that very quickly disintegrates. I just think it’s so important that we foster this programme."
As with previous programmes, this Peace Plus process will be managed by the SEUPB on behalf of the EU Commission, the UK and Ireland.
