Town & Village Renewal Scheme
2024 Expressions of Interest
The Scheme is currently closed for applications.
Please email townvillagerenewal@waterfordcouncil.ie if you have any queries.
About the Scheme
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was first introduced in 2016. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is an initiative under the Action Plan for Rural Development and is part of a package of national and local support measures to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland through the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme.
The Scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by the Local Authorities. Each year, the department reviews the priorities under the scheme and revises them according to needs.
Local Authorities must advertise for expressions of interest from towns/villages in their area and can select proposals for development into detailed applications to be submitted to the Department. 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 2023 priority was focused on projects that align with the objectives of Our Rural Future, Town Centre First and Our Living Islands such as:
- investment in infrastructure to support town and village centre markets
- bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use a multi-purpose community spaces, or to address remote working needs
- investing in the development of parks, green spaces and recreational amenities in town centres
- a new option to allow local authorities to acquire plots of land to enable development of town regeneration, such as town parks and plazas
- refurbishment of existing community centres
Categories of Towns/Villages
Two categories of Towns/Villages are eligible for support under the scheme:
- Category 1: Towns/villages with a population of less than 5,000 people.
- Category 2: Towns with a population of 5,000-10,000 people
For the 2023 Scheme, the minimum grant which is available is €20,000. The maximum level of grant funding available is remaining at €500,000 in respect of one application from each Local Authority. A maximum of €250,000 will apply in respect of 4 applications.
1 application must be in respect of Towns/Villages that have not previously received funding under the Standard Town & Village Renewal Scheme in the last 3 years.
Rate of Aid
The rate of Aid for projects for this year will remain at 90% in recognition of the challenging environment for raising financial contributions.
Note: Voluntary labour is no longer an eligible form of match funding under the scheme.
Selection of projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are by means of a competitive process as determined by guidelines from the DRCD. Full involvement by community interests and business interests will be an essential feature of successful projects. Successful proposals will include activities which have clear positive economic impacts on the town/village which are then submitted for consideration by DRCD.
