Deadline: 31-Jan-2025
The Department of Rural and Community Development funds the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which provides funding to support community groups across Ireland.
This funding will help communities, community groups and committees, allowing them to continue to provide valuable services to the people in their area, and in the process strengthen the bonds that tie communities together.
The LEP is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development (the Department) and administered by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area. The Local Enhancement Programme will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas:
- Groups will be able to use the capital element of funding to carry out necessary repairs and improvements to their facilities, purchase equipment for e.g. such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment etc.
- Groups will be able to use the current element of funding to support their non-pay running costs for example energy costs/bills (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges), rental/lease costs, insurance bills.
Funding Information
- The Department has recommended that LCDCs ring-fence 30% funding to provide small capital grants of €1,000 or less.
Eligible Costs
- The following provides a non-exhaustive list of projects that could receive funding under the programme:
- Development/renovation of community centres
- Accessibility improvements
- Community amenities
- Development of youth clubs or facilities
- Development of sports/recreation facilities
- Improvements to town parks and common areas and spaces
- CCTV equipment
- Public realm improvements
- Street-scaping
- Development of play/recreation spaces
- Improving energy efficiency of community facilities to reduce ongoing costs
- Purchase of equipment
- Purchase of laptops, tablets
- Maintenance of premises, including painting and repairs
- Capital work to increase biodiversity, or to reduce the carbon footprint of a facility
- Cleaning equipment
- Energy costs (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges) – current funding only
- Operating costs (existing rental/lease costs, insurance bills) – current funding only
- Website Maintenance – current funding only
- Audit & Accountancy fees– current funding only
- To ensure appropriate monitoring and governance, the Department is stating that only operating/running costs related to this period are eligible – 1st June 2024 to 30th May 2025.
Ineligible Costs
- The following expenditure is not eligible for funding:
- Any project not in keeping with the ethos of the Programme
- Employment costs
- Legal fees
- Project management fees
- Purchase of lands or buildings
- Feasibility studies
- Private or commercial operations
- Costs which are being paid for by another funder or department
Eligibility Criteria
- Any not-for-profit community or voluntary group can apply.
- Commercial organisations and individuals are not eligible for funding.
Selection Criteria
- Projects may also be judged having regard to how they:
- Support local groups and clubs, which serve their communities;
- Increase the number people that can be supported by the group, including through accessibility improvements, new community integration measures or safety improvements;
- Invest to increase or extend the use of the facility, for example, to voluntary and community groups;
- Reduce the annual running cost of a facility;
- Have a positive impact on the environment, for example, a reduction in energy consumption;
- Demonstrate collaboration with the local authority or other relevant bodies in the catchment area;
- Support the creation of a sense of place within the community including through the enhancement of the built environment;
- Address health and safety issues; and/or,
- Invest in technology which will be accessed by individuals and communities that are impacted by disadvantage.
- Projects may also be judged having regard to additional criteria deemed appropriate by the LCDC which demonstrate the added value of the project or element of a project in suitably addressing the programme’s aims in each Local Authority administrative area.
For more information, visit Waterford City and County council.
