Community Grants

This section contains information on current grant funding available to the public and community organisations.

Community Recognition Fund 2024 - Our Rural Future

Window 2 now open from August 1^st, 2024, to 4.00pm September 6^th, 2024

On 15th March 2024, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys and Minister of State Joe O’Brien announced details of a €50 million Community Recognition Fund. The allocation for Waterford is €1,436,394, including €71,819 for administration.

This major initiative follows on from both the 2023 Community Recognition Fund and Window 1 of the 2024 Community Recognition Fund and aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities for the benefit of the entire community, in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries. It is separate in its objectives and scope to any other public funding streams, aiming to support the development of public service needs arising from the significant number 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 (‘new arrivals’).

The minimum level of funding for a project is €50,000 and the maximum is €500,000, with those in excess of €200,000 requiring a specific business case.

Projects must address needs in their areas and deliver medium-long term benefits for the entire community.

Fund Overview

Any community/voluntary/statutory group or organisations can apply for the scheme.

Projects to be funded must be capital in nature, deliver medium-long term benefits for the communities in which they are located, and be capable of being delivered over the course of 2025 and 2026 (up to 30^th September 2026). A minimum spend of 50% of the allocation must be incurred in 2025, with specific deadlines, letters of offer and funding agreements sent to successful applicants. Eligible projects will receive funding for capital costs, but not for any ongoing operational or running costs.

Funding is to be targeted at, and specifically invested in, those communities, villages and towns where the highest level of new arrivals are located and where there is a clear need for investment identified.

In Waterford, the main areas with the highest numbers of people from Ukraine and from other countries are the towns of Lismore, Dungarvan/Abbeyside/Ballinroad, Tramore, and Waterford City Centre and the North West Suburbs.

Window 2 – Call for applications

Unallocated funds from Window 1 will now transfer to Window 2. For the purpose of Window 2, applications will only be accepted from these areas: Dungarvan /Abbeyside /Ballinroad and Waterford City Centre and the North West Suburbs, as these areas were identified as having significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries and did not receive their total funding allocation in Window 1 earlier this year.

Window 3 of the Community Recognition Fund will launch on the 1^st January 2025 and will be open to other priority areas outside of Tramore, Dungarvan, Lismore and Waterford City, where there are large numbers of new arrivals.

Eligibility

Waterford City & County Council is currently seeking applications for large scale capital project proposals that service the following areas only. Click on the link to see associated maps:

The successful projects will be capital in nature, will address needs in their areas and will deliver medium-long term benefits for the entire community. See Local Economic & Community Plan 2023 – 2029.

The minimum level of funding for an individual project is €50,000 with a maximum of €500,000 applying. Smaller projects cannot be artificially combined to meet the minimum threshold of €50,000 – while the 2023 scheme provided funding for small scale investment in clubs and communities (e.g., for small scale equipment), the focus of the 2024 scheme is on projects of greater scale and impact.

For projects over €200,000 additional information must be provided at application stage giving further details on the needs identified in the location, the engagement and collaboration that resulted in the selection of the location and specific project and the capacity of the community to progress the proposed project in line with the terms and conditions attached to the funding.

The maximum of €500,000 can be exceeded in very exceptional cases based on the provision of a business case from the relevant local authority. The business case must outline the rationale for higher funding due to factors such as substantial local needs, a particularly strong concentration of arrivals in one location, low levels of previous investment in the impacted area and/or other specificities of the area; the local authority should discuss this with the Department of Rural and Community Development in advance of making a business case.

The local authority has scope to invest the funding based on their own distinct local needs as identified through a “bottom-up” approach and based on the community engagement referenced above.

The type of projects eligible for funding are:

Development, enhancement or refurbishment of community or cultural facilities including play areas, walkways, parks, community/sensory gardens, allotments, and recreational areas;
Development, enhancement or refurbishment of local club and sports facilities including facilities such as community swimming pools, changing rooms, toilets, digital aids such as score / information boards etc;
Enhancement to school/parish facilities which are open to use by all of the community after school hours;

purchase of larger scale equipment for local clubs, festivals, community events and organisations e.g., music, arts or sports equipment that benefit the full community;
Transport infrastructure such as the purchase of community vehicles, bus shelters and attendant information boards; (any vehicle funded must be in good condition and not more than five-years-old);
Projects that help address dereliction and/or wider local economic and community development objectives;
Purchase and refurbishment of vacant or derelict buildings for community use where a clear need is identified;
Purchase of land and associated works for the development of community facilities such as play areas/ MUGAs or town parks/ community gardens, recreational areas etc. Purchases must only be administered by the local authority, this option is not open to external applicants.

It is intended that this list offers considerable flexibility for local authorities to develop proposals that reflect the needs of their own communities and projects that will deliver real medium-long term benefits to those communities. However, in the course of developing their proposals, it is open to local authorities to discuss with the Department potential funding proposals outside the scope of the above list.

Where the maximum funding levels under this scheme may limit the potential to purchase and renovate a targeted building, the local authority may wish to purchase the vacant building under this fund and its’ subsequent renovation can form part of an application under another scheme such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Project delivery by community groups

Projects can be delivered directly by the local authority. However, in the interest of ensuring direct community engagement, it is also open to local authorities to deliver these projects via community organisations, in a similar manner to the management of the ORIS and CLÁR programmes. This provision does not apply to the purchase of land and buildings as set out in the final bullet point above.

Where a project is being delivered via a community organisation, the local authority must satisfy itself that the organisation is fully aware of the terms and conditions associated with the funding. For larger projects in particular, the local authority should ensure the community organisation has sufficient cash flow to ensure the project is deliverable and that they have capacity to do so. To support community organisations with cash flow, interim drawdown requests will be accepted by the Department once all material is submitted by the local authority.

Grant Allocation and Rates

The Fund is allocated between each local authority based on the number of new arrivals located there, taking into account both the level of new arrivals and the relative level of new arrivals vis a vis overall population in a local authority area. The allocation for Waterford is €1,436,394, including €71,819 for administration. Applications are currently being accepted under window 2, with 20% of the allocation ring-fenced for Window 3, which is due to open on the 1^st January 2025.

The deadline for receipt of applications under Window 2 is Friday, 6^th September 2024 at 4p.m.

Given the nature and objectives of the Fund, the local authority will have discretion to avail of 100% of the costs of the project from the Fund to ensure it is delivered in full. Local authorities should clearly set out in their funding proposal the rate of aid that they wish to avail of for each project, ensuring that the project can be delivered fully based on the funding provided. The local authority must ensure that where rate of aid of less than 100% is sought, the project must be achievable and completed in the timelines given.

This funding should not be used as a co-funding source for any other scheme operated by the Department of Rural and Community Development, or any other Government Department, nor should this funding be used as a co-funding source for any other project funded under CRF 2023, or CRF 2024 Window 1.

The local authority must consider the distribution of funding under both the 2023 Community Recognition Fund and Window 1, of the 2024 Community Recognition Fund, as part of the allocation of funding and selection of projects under this second iteration of the Fund i.e., the distribution of funding across both the 2023 and 2024 funds combined should reflect where new arrivals are located.

Application Process

The application process will be competitive with specific evaluation criteria. Interested groups will need to demonstrate their capacity to deliver the project, including details of proven track record of project partners and experience of delivering similar projects. Groups should consider their respective project requirements, clear projected costs, planning dependencies, and demonstrate how their project will benefit the entire community. Projects must be achievable within the allowed timeframes. Favourable consideration will be given to groups who can provide match funding.

To be considered under this fund, the application form must be completed for the proposed project on the Submit online platform by Friday 6th September 2024 at 4p.m. It is advised that applications are submitted in advance of this deadline, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

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The local authority will then submit funding proposals to the Department for approval. These proposals will, inter alia, outline the projects to be delivered, the indicative cost for each project broken down by the constituent elements, confirmation that the projects will be located in the towns, villages and communities most impacted by new arrivals, and the community engagement undertaken.

Projects situated in towns, villages or specific city locations that do not have high levels of new arrivals will not be deemed eligible.

The Department will examine each proposal and will revert to the local authority with any queries. No works should commence in advance of formal funding approval from the Department. All approved funding proposals will be the subject of a funding agreement between the local authority and the Department.

No changes to applications will be accepted after the proposal form is submitted for review by the Department. The Department may approve projects on a rolling basis or, alternatively, on a collective basis across all local authorities after the closing date for each application window.

National Procurement Guidelines and DPER Circular 13/2014 must be adhered to in respect of each project funded under the funding proposal, and confirmation of this will form part the Department’s control regime for the Fund.

Should you have any queries in relation to this scheme, email crf@waterfordcouncil.ie

This office receives a high volume of queries across a number of grant schemes, and therefore it’s advised that applicants submit queries well in advance of the deadline.

Checklist for Applicants

Community organisations must include a PPN number to be considered for the CRF 2024 Window 2. If you have registered with the PPN, registration can be done online at www.waterfordppn.ie
Project location address including Eircode, must be included (all applicants).
Proof of tax compliance and registration with relevant bodies uploaded, if applicable.
Proof of planning permission or written consent from landowner/property owner if your project involves the development of a property, if applicable.
Proof of match funding uploaded, if applicable.
Copy of bank statement showing balance as of 30/06/2024 (all community/voluntary/statutory group or organisations must provide same).