Community Grants

Waterford City & County Council is committed to encouraging communities and empowering residents to make a difference to their areas.  To support this, the Council is inviting applications for its Supporting Waterford Communities Fund 2025.

The Supporting Communities Fund provides a contribution towards costs of Residents Associations, Community Groups, Sports Clubs and other groups/committees engaged in community activity, providing community services or carrying out improvement works at local or county level.

The following were the maximum grants awarded in 2024:

• Residents Groups – €1,000
• Community Groups – €880
• Sports Groups – €880

If applying under the Supporting Waterford Communities Fund 2025, please ensure you have carefully read the Terms & Conditions and the Guidelines document to ensure you meet the criteria of this fund and that you have provided all the necessary supporting documentation.

Groups can apply under one the following 3 funding strands:

(1) Residents Association Fund

This strand provides grant assistance to resident’s associations, groups or committees who are engaged in community activity, or carrying out improvement works within their own estates/ neighbourhoods/ areas, for:

• Provision and maintenance of green areas.
• Contribution towards insurance costs and ongoing operational costs of resident’s association activity.
• Provision of pollinator friendly flower beds, shrubs, trees etc.
• Organised Community Clean-ups or Fun days/ Sports Days etc.
• Projects ensuring natural resources (eg. rivers, forests, wetlands etc) are protected and enhanced through biodiversity planning, native tree planting etc.
• Improvement projects to areas of historical/ cultural nature.

(2) Community Activity Fund

The Community Activity Fund aims to assist communities or a combination of communities, to work together to develop a local plan for their own area(s), to establish sustainable structures enabling communities to identify and meet their own needs – “helping them to help themselves”. The Fund can also be used to up-grade or replace equipment. The type of projects that can be funded include:

• Activities /events to promote innovative communication to improve community engagement and encourage participation towards establishing a local development plan for the area.
• Activities / events that bring different areas or communities together to help plan the future of such communities.
• Repairs / Tools/utensils.
• Room hire / Transport costs / Insurance.
• Community events/productions.

(3) Sports & Recreation Fund

This strand aids Sports Clubs and Recreational Organisations who are engaged in community activity, providing sports opportunities across all ages and abilities. It aims to assist Sports Clubs provide or improve the range of Sport and Leisure opportunities to Waterford’s Communities. Funds are available for:

• The purchase of sports equipment that has a positive impact on the level or quality of sports participation within the club e.g. bibs, balls, cones, fitness equipment, etc.
• Room hire/ Transport costs / Insurance.
• Sports Specific Coach Education.
• Accredited courses run by the Irish Sports Council (ISC), Coaching Ireland or National Governing Body of Sport.
• Referee, umpire or official accreditation.

How to apply
The deadline for applications is 4.00pm on Wednesday, 19^th March 2025. Please ensure you allow adequate time to complete your application and upload supporting documentation, as late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

All applicants must complete the online application form and provide the required supporting documentation.

Further information in relation to the Supporting Waterford Communities Fund, eligibility criteria and how to apply, please use this button.

Queries can be sent by email to communitygrants@waterfordcouncil.ie, by telephone at 051-849735 / 058-22035 or by post to Community Grants, Waterford City and County Council, City Hall, The Mall, Waterford City, X91 PK15.

Best of luck with your applications!