Community Climate Action Programme – Ireland

Deadline: 6-Mar-24

Applications are now open for the Community Climate Action Programme to support small and large, rural and urban communities to take climate action at a local level.

It aims to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets.

Strand 1 of the Climate Action Programme will be administered by Cavan County Council. There are two parts to this Strand:

• Strand 1 – Action: Building Low Carbon Communities
  • CCC have been given an allocation of €439,000 for projects under Strand 1. Under this strand community will carry out projects that have a direct climate action impact and involves capital investment.
  • A number of projects will be selected from across the County which demonstrate the delivery of national climate action at local level in Cavan.
• Strand 1a – Shared Island Community Climate Action
  • This Strand enables communities in Cavan to carry out a cross-border direct climate action project in partnership with a community/ organisation in Northern Ireland.
  • Unlike Strand 1, Local Authorities have not been automatically allocated funding under Strand 1a. Nationally €3 million has been allocated to projects under this sub – strand. Cavan communities can apply under this sub-strand and their project must have a clear North/South basis, with a cross-border partnership approach and impact. At least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland.
  • Projects from both strands must meet the objectives of the Programme as set out in project eligibility below and be completed within 18 months following a letter of offer. Based on current guidelines form DECC, they are expecting letters of offer to issue in August 2024. 100% funding is available for projects. Projects can, and are encouraged to, include a suite of measures, not just one specific action.
  • This Programme is an opportunity for groups to take a holistic approach in making their community less carbon intensive and more sustainable for the future.

Project Themes

• Projects must demonstrate the delivery of national climate action at a local level for strand 1 and strand 1a. The five themes are:
  • Theme 1: Community Energy
    • These projects aim to reduce the climate impact of buildings in communities by using less energy, utilising renewable energy and avoiding heat loss.
    • This can include:
      • Small community renewable energy projects (solar, hydro, wind)
      • Retrofitting community buildings
      • LED community lighting
      • Community EV charging point(s)
  • Theme 2: Travel
    • Projects which contribute to emissions reductions related to travel. This can include:
      • Reductions in carbon footprint in services
      • Improving access to cycle ways
      • Cycle parking
      • EV charging points
      • Safe or active travel routes to schools
  • Theme 3: Food and Waste
    • Projects that reduce food waste, promotes locally grown/sourced food and support food security. This can include:
      • Developing community gardens to promote local food production
      • Allotments, community gardens
      • Food pledges from local businesses
      • Food markets
      • Community composting facilities
  • Theme 4: Shopping and Recycling
    • Projects of interest under this theme would increase the variety and number of recycling facilities in the local community and initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling. This can include:
      • Initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling
      • Elimination of single use plastic
      • Community repair hubs
      • Swap shops
      • Water filling stations or single use plastics elimination in businesses in communities
  • Theme 5: Local Climate & Environmental Action
    • They are interested in projects that take a holistic approach to managing the local environment. This can include for example
      • Mini forests
      • Forest schools
      • Dispersed orchards
      • Community gardens
      • Roof gardens
      • Pollinator projects
      • Community water stations
      • Climate resilience projects

Funding Information

• Funding is available for 100% of the project costs. There are three project sizes:
  • Small projects (Up to €20,000) – 10% of projects selected will be small scale
  • Medium projects (€20,000 – €50,000) – 40% of projects selected will be medium scale
  • Large projects (€51,000 – €100,000) – 50% of projects selected will be large scale

Eligible Projects

• Projects must:
  • Meet the overall objective “to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets.”
  • Address one or more of the five Programme Themes and national climate action targets, as set out below.
  • Comply with all statutory requirements in relation to planning, building regulations, Health and Safety, and Fire Codes etc., if applicable.

National Climate Action Targets

• Apart from the Programme themes, projects should seek to demonstrate the following delivery of national climate action at a local level for strand 1 and on a cross-border basis on the island of Ireland for strand 1a:
  • Reducing or supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Increasing the production, or use, of renewable energy
  • Improving energy efficiency
  • Increasing climate resilience
  • Identifying nature-based projects that enhance biodiversity and seek to reduce, or increase the removal of, greenhouse gas emissions or support climate resilience in the State
  • Assisting regions in the State (including communities in those regions) and within sectors of the economy impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy
  • Involving potentially innovative solutions to address the above asks.

Project Locations 

• It is essential that projects be available to the community, where applicable. If the group do not own the land/ building(s)/ floor space then they must have a minimum of a five years lease or agreement in place from date of project completion. Groups may be asked to provide proof of ownership, lease or access agreements.

Eligibility Criteria

• Community groups are required to self-certify that they do not have the funding available to undertake the work without support, OR alternatively that the support will enable them to undertake more work which they otherwise would not be able to afford. Groups must be able to demonstrate their ability to carry out the proposed works.
• Communities Eligible for Strand 1
  • To be eligible to apply under Strand 1, community organisations must:
    • be a not-for-profit organisation
    • be located in the operational area of CCC
    • be registered with the PPN or connected with other collectives such as the Wheel, Tidy Towns and /or a community group with Articles of Association or a Constitution, which hold an AGM, and for which approved minutes are available
• Communities eligible for strand 1a (Shared Island Project)
  • To be eligible to apply under strand 1a, organisations must:
    • be a not-for-profit organisation. National community and environmental organisations are eligible to apply under strand 1a due to the scope for all-island projects
    • be located in the operational area of CCC
    • be registered with a PPN or connected with other collectives such as the Wheel, Tidy Towns and /or a community group with Articles of Association or a Constitution, which hold an AGM, and for which approved minutes are available
    • have at least one partner organisation in Northern Ireland. Partner organisations must be either a:
      • not-for-profit organisation or Local Authority
      • local/national community and environmental organisation registered in Northern Ireland

Ineligible

• The following types of organisations are not eligible to apply for both strand 1 and strand 1a:
  • Private individuals
  • Commercial undertakings (including sole traders)
  • Schools, third levels institutions etc.
  • Financial institutions
• Only strand 1
  • National community and environmental organisations

For more information, visit Cavan County Council.