Deadline: 4-Sep-25
The Arts Council is accepting applications for the Strategic Funding Programme to invest in and support the organisations that are needed to lead, sustain and develop the arts in Ireland.
Aims and Objectives
- The Arts Council provides Strategic Funding to organisations to ensure that they can:
- Deliver excellent artwork and/or events, activities and services
- Create excellent opportunities for artists and/or arts professionals to develop their practice and/or to create or to be engaged in high-quality work
- Ensure that the diversity of contemporary Ireland is reflected in the work they support
- Enable more people to enjoy high-quality arts experiences
- Increase depth of engagement by and with the public
- Ensure excellent standards in governance and management in the arts.
Eligibility Criteria
- Strategic Funding is open to organisations only.
- You can make only one application each year for Strategic Funding.
- To be eligible for Strategic Funding, your organisation must:
- Be formally constituted as either a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) or a Designated Activity Company (DAC) or a statutory body.
- Apply in its own name and not in the name of another company or individual.
- Have previously successfully applied for Arts Council funding either in the name of your organisation or in the name of a key person involved in the organisation.
- Note: Organisations that are not formally constituted as either a CLG or DAC may apply on the understanding that they will commit to formally incorporating as a CLG or DAC if their application is successful.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following are not eligible for the Strategic Funding programme:
- Organisations that have already applied for funding through Arts Grant Funding 2026 or the Festival Investment Scheme 2026
- The exception is if the Arts Council has permitted you to apply
- Organisations that already receive this funding must discuss their Strategic Funding application in advance with the relevant arts team
- Members of the Council of National Cultural Institutions (CNCI) directly funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
- First-time applicants who have not discussed their application in advance with the relevant arts team.
For more information, visit The Arts Council.