Funding Programmes & Grants
Introduction
There are a range of different funding grants and supports available for rural and community development. Below is a brief description of each as well as links for further information on funding that is open for applications. Details of funding scheduled to launch will be updated below.
Please note the application deadline for some of the supports detailed may have closed for 2024.
Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme - OPEN CLICK HERE
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) supports the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and the necessary repair, enhancement, or promotion of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure in countryside areas across Ireland.
The focus of ORIS is to support outdoor recreational infrastructure in countryside areas across Ireland that not only provides an outlet for the communities in which they are situated but also delivers added value from a tourism perspective.
Projects typically funded by ORIS include walkways, cycleways, blueways, water and cycle trails, mountain access routes, bridleways, and open water amenities at bogs, rivers, lakes and beaches, including tidal pools.
Members Development Fund - OPEN CLICK HERE
A small, but flexible source of funding to assist groups in the development of locally based community projects and group activities.
LEADER/Rural Development Programme - OPEN CLICK HERE
LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the European Union. It operates a locally-led, bottom-up, approach to meeting the needs of communities and businesses in rural areas.
The programme plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level.
Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) - OPEN CLICK HERE
SICAP is the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme.
SICAP aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality. It does this through Programme Implementers, agencies and companies, who work with the most disadvantaged and the hardest to reach in communities.
Community Recognition Fund - Call for Applications has closed.
The Department of Rural and Community Development aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries. The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in communities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants.
Local Enhancement Programme 2024 - Call for Applications has closed.
The Local Enhancement Programme provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas. The Local Enhancement Programme 2024 is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2024 - Call for Applications has closed.
The central aim of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is to support the revitalisation of towns and villages, to improve the living and working environment of their communities, and increase their potential to support increased economic activity into the future.
The type of projects to be funded under this scheme is primarily a matter for the local authorities to identify in partnership with local business and communities.
Development Fund Initiative - Call for Applications has closed.
Funding for community projects supporting local economic, social, cultural, heritage or related activity.
CLÁR Funding - Call for Applications has closed.
CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd Riachtanais) or Funding for Small-Scale Rural Projects is a targeted investment programme which provides funding for small-scale - infrastructural projects in rural areas that have suffered the greatest levels of population decline.