Please read the following guidelines carefully before completing the application form.
There are four separate funding streams available
- LCDC Community Support Fund
- LCDC Community Support Fund Women's Sheds
- Cork City Council Community Associations Capital Grants
- Cork City Council Small Scale Programme Grants
Closing date for applications is Monday 06th of March 2023 at 5pm. Please note that incomplete applications or late applications cannot be considered.
The Community Support Fund (CSF) provides funding to support community groups across Ireland. The CSF is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDC) in each Local Authority area, to ensure funding is targeted appropriately towards addressing disadvantage in the areas that need it most. It is important to note that other agencies and departments also invest in disadvantaged areas, For example, the Department of Education and Skills in DEIS schools and community liaison officers, HSE in community care services, DSP in Intreo and through the Local Employment Service etc. The Department of Rural and Community Development also operates the SICAP (Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme) to assist individuals and groups from disadvantaged communities.
The CSF will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas
- With their non-pay running costs such as energy costs (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges) or other non-pay operating costs for e.g. rental/lease costs, insurance bills. Groups will also be able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and improvements of a capital nature to their facilities and /or purchase equipment for e.g. such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment etc.
- The Community Support Fund Women’s Sheds is a small scale grant to provide funding towards the operation and running costs of women sheds e.g. electricity/heating/insurance.
The Community Associations Capital Grant is a Capital Grant for Community Associations in Cork City for works of a capital or major building maintenance nature. The Small Scale Programme Grant is for Community Groups in the Cork City area for once off, small scale programme activities. The Community Development Grants are funded by Cork City Council, administered by the Community Section, and recommended for approval at a full Council meeting through the Community Culture and Placemaking SCP.
The partnership between the Community Support Fund and the Community Development Grants will operate in a complementary manner to add value to other front-line schemes and programmes, being operated in communities.
Community Groups, Organisations and Associations can apply for funding from the following grants.
Please note that while there are two separate Capital Grants outlined, applicants are only eligible to apply for one capital funding stream.
- LCDC Community Support Fund 2023 Non Pay Running Costs
With non-pay running costs for example utility bills (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges) or other non-pay operating costs for example rental/lease costs, insurance bills. Any funding awarded will generally be for €1000 or less. Depending on number of applicants and total allocatable funding available, cost greater than €1000 could also be considered.
- LCDC Community Support Fund 2023 Capital Costs
Funding to carry out necessary repairs and improvements to their facilities, purchase equipment, e.g., such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment etc. Funding will be awarded towards large scale Capital Grants between a minimum of €5,000 and a maximum €35,000. Approved grants are usually between €5,000 to €10,000.
- LCDC Community Support Fund 2023 Women's Shed
This is a small scale grant to provide funding towards the operation and running costs of women sheds e.g. electric/heating/insurance costs. The maximum grant that can be applied for will be €1000. However, please note most grants awarded are closer to €300 to €500
- Community Associations Capital Grants 2023
For recognised Community Associations in Cork City for works of a capital or major building maintenance nature. Funding will be awarded towards large scale Capital Grants between a minimum of €5,000. and a maximum €35,000. Approved grants are usually between €5,000 to €10,000
- Cork City Council Small Scale Programme Grant 2023
For Community Groups in the Cork City area this is for once off, small scale programme activities, excluding arts and sports activities. The maximum grant that can be applied for will be €2,500. However, please note most grants awarded are closer to €500
These funding streams are about giving a helping hand to our communities, local groups, and clubs. The Department has recommended that LCDCs ring-fence a percentage of allocated funding from the Community Support Fund to provide small grants of €1,000 or less. Ring-fencing funding at this level will allow a larger volume of those with limited resources to receive some funding. These programmes can also fund or partially fund larger scale projects to address disadvantage. Applications should relate to one or more key priority areas identified in their
LCDC’s Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) in order to be eligible for consideration.
Please click the blue 'Get Started' button to begin. You may be required to submit Quotes/Estimates with your application.
Please leave adequate time to submit your form by the closing date. Applications do not need to be completed in one sitting. Progress can be saved and resumed at another time.
Any funding that was awarded by Cork City Council or the LCDC in 2021/2022 must be completed and receipted before any funding from 2023 grants will be allocated.
All applications are to be made here online, through Cork City Councils Submit Application Portal by the 06th of March 2023 at 5pm. Please note that incomplete applications or late applications cannot be considered.
The Community Support Fund is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Please
click here for a press release on the launch of the CAF at national level by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD.
Terms and Conditions
- There is no limit on the number of applications for different projects from any organisation. However, applicants should be aware that an equity/fairness approach will be taken to ensure an even distribution of funding with a particular reference to disadvantage
- Any grant funding awarded can only be spent on the purpose applied for in the application form
- The activity or project must benefit the local community and relate to the key priority areas identified in the LECP
- The application must be signed by the Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer of the organisation making the submission
- The information supplied by the applicant group /organisation must be accurate and complete
- Misinformation may lead to disqualification and/or the repayment of any grant made
- It is the responsibility of each organisation to ensure that it has proper procedures and policies in place, including appropriate child protection policies and training, and suitable adequate insurance cover
- Evidence of expenditure, receipts /invoices must be retained and will need to be provided to Cork City Council when requested
- Receipts of expenditure and photographic evidence will be required to be submitted. Invoices will not be accepted and will be returned
- Grant monies awarded must be expended and drawn down by end of year 2023
- Generally, no third party or intermediary applications will be considered
- Late applications will not be considered
- Please ensure the application form is completed in full. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding
- Breaches of the terms and conditions of the grants scheme may result in sanctions including disbarment from future grant applications
- The Freedom of Information Act applies to all records held by the Department and Local Authorities
- In order to process your application, it may be necessary for Cork City Council to collect personal data from you. Such information will be processed in line with the Local Authority’s privacy statement which is available to view on Cork City Councils website here
Community Support Fund
- The Community Support Fund will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their non-pay running/operating costs, as well as funding to carry out necessary repairs and improvements to their facilities and purchase equipment. The scheme does not provide funding for the pay or employment of staff
- Under the Community Support Fund, grants will be provided to Women's Sheds towards funding for operating costs (e.g. electricity costs, heating costs, insurance costs etc.)
- The Department is stating that only operating/running costs related to the period of 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 are eligible
- 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
- For grants towards equipment or the upgrade of facilities, applicant groups shall self-certify that they do not have the funding to undertake the work, without the grant aid, or alternatively that with the grant they will now undertake a larger project which they otherwise would not be able to afford
- If the funding application is for one element of a project, applicants will be required to provide documentary evidence of the availability of the balance of funding for the remaining elements of that project
- The Department’s contribution must be publicly acknowledged in all materials and publicity associated with the purpose of the grant
- All information provided in respect of the application for a grant will be held electronically. The Department reserves the right to publish a list of all grants awarded on its website
The following provides a non-exhaustive list of projects that could receive funding:
- Development/renovation of community centres
- 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
- Energy efficiency type projects
- Purchase of equipment
- Adaptations or equipment needed as a result of COVID-19
- Maintenance of premises
- Utility Bills (electricity costs, refuse charges, heating charges)
- Operating costs (e.g., existing rental/lease costs, insurance bills)
- Website Maintenance
- Cleaning
- Audit & Accountancy fees
To ensure appropriate monitoring and governance, the Department is stating that only operating/running costs related to the 1st of April 2022 to 31st of March 2023 period are eligible for funding.
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
Community Associations Capital Grants
- Community Associations Capital Grants are subject to Cork City Council's approval. Work funded with Community Development grants in previous years must be completed, fully drawn down and receipted before further funding can be allocated
- Successful applicants must seek competitive tenders or quotations prior to starting works and drawing down the grant
- Successful applicants must carry out projects by the 23rd October 2023
- It will be possible to combine funding from other sources. However, this must be transparent and disclosed when applying
- If the funding application is for one element of a project, applicants will be required to provide documentary evidence of the availability of the balance of funding for that particular element of that project
- Applicants will be required to submit a copy of the minutes from the Community Associations last AGM and a copy of their audited accounts.
- All information provided in respect of the application for a grant will be held electronically. Cork City Council reserves the right to publish a list of all grants awarded on its website
Small Scale Programme Grant
- Small Scale Programme Grants for Community Groups are subject to Cork City Council's approval. Work funded with Community Development grants in previous years must be completed, fully drawn down and receipted before further funding can be allocated
- The maximum grant that can be applied for will be €2,500. Please note however, most grants awarded are closer to €500
- Programmes must be inclusive, non religious, non sectarian and non political
- All information provided in respect of the application for a grant will be held electronically. Cork City Council reserves the right to publish a list of all grants awarded on its website
- Cork City Councils contribution must be publicly acknowledged in all materials associated and publicity with the purpose of the grant
- Sport or arts / music / cultural activity are not eligible as there are other funding streams available for these programmes.
- Programme promoters will be required to have appropriate child protection policies and training and suitable and adequate insurance cover
- It will be possible to combine funding from other sources. However, this must be transparent and disclosed when applying
The following types of activities will be considered for programme grant funding:
Programmes which are of general social or economic benefit to an area-based community and promote inclusion are prioritised.
Examples could include drop-in or meeting facilities for older people / unemployed / young mothers /mother and toddler groups / youth programmes / youth cafes / friendly call / promotion of positive mental health / integration of new communities / travellers, etc.
Local participation in the design and development of programmes is desirable
Who is eligible to apply?
Any not-for-profit community or voluntary association/group can apply.
Commercial organisations and individuals are not eligible for funding.
Only recognised Community Associations can apply for the Community Associations Capital Grant.
Target groups
This funding is targeted towards supporting communities that are impacted by disadvantage as identified in the LECP, available to read on the
Cork City Council Website here.
Requirements of the Programme
The following conditions apply to all projects. Depending on the nature of your project (and the group applying), there may be further requirements that must be met. Cork City Council/LCDC will discuss this with you if your application is successful.
Tax Requirements
- The applicant group/organisation does not have to be registered for tax purposes.
- Any applicant group/organisation that is registered for tax purposes must be tax compliant. In line with revised tax clearance procedures, which came into effect in January 2016, the Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference number must be submitted for verification purposes.
Statutory Consents - Applicants must ensure that all necessary statutory permissions or consents have been obtained before any works commence. This includes but is not confined to planning permission.
Insurance - Written evidence of a valid insurance policy may be requested where relevant during the applications review process.
Acknowledgment of funding - Due to the value of some of these grants, it would not be cost-effective to require signage acknowledging the Department, Cork City Council or the LCDC. Other suitable acknowledgements will suffice e.g., on a group/organisation’s website or social media platforms. Where signage is developed it should acknowledge the contribution of the Department and Cork City Council.
Match-funding - this is not a requirement under this programme.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by Cork City Council and the LCDC to ensure eligibility and that they are targeted at addressing disadvantage as identified in its
LECP. Projects must be in keeping with the ethos of the programme, which is to provide funding to communities across Ireland to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas.
Projects may also be judged having regard to how they:
- Support local groups and clubs, which have continued to serve their community during Covid-19
- 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
- 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.
Corporate Governance
Monitoring
Grantees will be required to comply with the highest standard of transparency and accountability as documented in Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 13/2014 - Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds
http://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/per/2014/13.pdf. The overall principle is that there should be transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, in line with economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The circular outlines, for example, that grant recipients should not dispose of publicly funded assets without prior approval.
The Code of Governance for Community and Voluntary organisations
It is encouraged that funded bodies adopt the Governance Code, a Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations, which will assist in achieving excellence in all areas of your work. The Governance Code asks organisations to agree to operate to key principles in order to run their organisation more effectively in areas such as leadership, transparency and accountability and behaving with integrity. Further information on the Code is available at
www.governancecode.ieApproval Procedures
In deciding the final allocations of funding for applications, a number of factors may be taken into account including geographical balance and the desirability to fund a variety of different projects and the relative disadvantage of the area where the facility is located (or will serve). This may include cross-referencing the location of the facility/group (or the area it serves) with the Pobal Hasse deprivation index which is available on www.pobal.ie.
Following the decision each approved project, subject to the completion of legal formalities and other requirements, will receive an offer in principle of grant-aid. This will be subject to compliance with the relevant conditions and subject to the satisfactory acceptance by the applicant of that offer.
The right is reserved to reassign the funds offered to another approved project if all requirements are not met within a reasonable period.
The Department and/or Cork City Council reserve the right to carry out an audit of expenditure or conduct inspections from time to time.
Please Note:
Requests for funding usually exceed the funds available and it is important therefore that the process of evaluation is rigorous. The purpose of this process is to ensure that the best projects, taking all factors into account, emerge and receive support. It is policy to ensure that every application is treated fairly and impartially.
Offers of funding may be for a lesser amount than that sought by the applicant. Applicants should be aware that the programmes may be oversubscribed. Therefore, in such circumstances, all applications fulfilling the conditions may not be successful or may be awarded a lesser amount than requested.
In evaluating proposals received, Cork City Council and the LCDC may seek advice and consult with other agencies and may disclose information on projects under consideration to those experts and agencies.
General
The information provided in this document is intended to give applicants an understanding of the process by which applications for funding are assessed and approved and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.
Freedom of Information Act 2014
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, details contained in applications and supporting documents may, on request, be released to third parties. If there is information contained in your application which is sensitive or confidential in nature, please identify it and provide an explanation as to why it should not be disclosed. If a request to release sensitive information under the legislation is received, you will be consulted before a decision is made whether or not to release the information. However, in the absence of the identification of particular information as sensitive, it could be disclosed without any consultation with you.
Site Visits
The Department, Cork City Council or the LCDC may carry out unannounced site visits to verify compliance with Programme terms and conditions.
Further information may be requested
The LCDC and Cork City Council reserve the right to request further information from you in order to assess your application if so required.
Usage of information
The information provided on the form will be utilised for the purposes of evaluating and administering the grant process, and to facilities audits and any site visits. When evaluating the applications received the LCDC may seek advice and consult with other agencies and may disclose information on projects under consideration to those experts and agencies.
Other
- Applicants are free to leverage other funding/match funding for projects (e.g., with LEADER, Tidy Towns, Town and Village Enhancement funding, etc.) although that is not a requirement of the programme.
- It is the responsibility of the administrators of/body responsible for any other funding scheme or programme to ensure that using this Programme to co-fund a project does not contradict the rules of that other scheme/programme.
- VAT will only be paid where it is included in the application amount. No further requests for VAT payments or repayments will be accepted.
How to Apply
Application Form
The application form is detailed and is designed to ensure that it has the necessary information to evaluate each proposal accurately and fairly. Please ensure that you complete the application form in full and that any documentation in support of your application is submitted with your application.
Only projects that meet the criteria outlined above will be considered eligible.
PLEASE NOTE THAT INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS OR LATE APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE CONSIDERED.
Submission of false or misleading information at any stage is treated very seriously. Any organisation that does not comply with the terms and conditions of the Programme may be subject to inspection, have their grant withdrawn, be required to repay all or part of a grant and/or be barred from making applications for a period of time. All serious breaches of the terms and conditions of the Programme will be notified to An Garda Síochána.