Deadline: 21-Feb-25
The Department of Rural and Community Development provides funding for its Local Enhancement Programme to support community groups across Ireland.
The Local Enhancement Programme 2025 will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with funding to support their non-pay running costs, for example energy costs/bills (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges), rental/lease costs and insurance bills.
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.
Funding Information
- Under the programme it is intended that 30% of the funding that is allocated to each Local Authority area will be ring-fenced for grants of €1,000 or less.
Eligible Costs
- The following provides a non-exhaustive list of costs that could receive current funding under the programme:
- Energy costs (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges)
- Operating costs (existing rental/lease costs, insurance bills)
- Audit & accountancy fees
- Website maintenance
Ineligible Costs
- The following expenditure is not eligible for current funding:
- Any project not in keeping with the ethos of 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
- Streetscaping
- 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
- 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
- Applications will be evaluated by the LCDC to ensure eligibility and that they are targeted at addressing disadvantage as identified in its LECP. Works must be in keeping with the ethos of the programme, which is to provide funding to communities across Ireland allowing them to continue to provide valuable services to the people in their area.
- Costs may also be judged having regard to how the group:
- Supports local groups and clubs, which serve their communities;
- Increases the number of people that can be supported by the group,
- Has a positive impact on the environment, for example, a reduction in energy consumption;
- Demonstrates collaboration with the local authority or other relevant bodies in the catchment area;
- Supports the creation of a sense of place within the community including through the enhancement of the built environment;
- Costs 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.
- Eligible applicants must:
- Identify the priority target group(s) the work of the group relates to
- Identify the theme/LECP objective the work of the group relates to
- Relevant groups as listed below must be registered with the Public Participation Network (PPN) in order to qualify for funding:
- Groups working in the areas of Community, local development, Sports, Arts, Residents Associations, Social groups, etc;
- Social Inclusion groups working with people experiencing disadvantage and inequality and
- Groups with a focus on protecting the environment and sustainability
For more information, visit Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.