Community Centres Investment Fund: DRCD
A new capital fund, called the Community Centres Investment Fund has recently been launched by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Community Centres Investment Fund envisions larger scale investments in Community Centres in order to make necessary improvements to better serve the community.
This is a new capital fund of €15 million which will provide funding for the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres in both urban and rural areas.
Funding will be available under 3 Categories, with grants of between €10k and €300K available:
• Category 1 : Small scale projects/improvements to facilities – €10,000 to €25,000
• Category 2 : Larger scale projects – €25,001 to €100,000
• Category 3 : Major projects – €100,001 to €300,000
Applications under Category 2 and 3 must include a minimum contribution of 5% of the total project costs from the applicants own funds.
Funding is available for capital works such as:
• Energy retrofitting – projects that reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint
• Works to address safety concerns, including as a result of fire safety audits
• Works to improve disability access
• Works to improve communal facilities such as kitchen and toilet facilities
• Improvements to assist in providing additional or better services to the community
• Essential maintenance work
Guidelines and a sample application form can be accessed from the DRCD webpage (link below). For now these documents are for information purposes only so that groups can begin to familiarise themselves with the fund.
Registration will be open on Tuesday 3rd May 2022, applicants need to register as ‘users’ on the portal in advance of the application process opening on Tuesday 7th June 2022.
Please find a link to register as a user on Pobal’s portal:
The closing date for applications is Thursday 14th July 2022.
The Department will be hosting a number of online information events in May and June 2022 to provide guidance in relation to the application process and details will be released in due course.
In the meantime please submit any queries and/or requests to be added to the mailing list to CCIF@drcd.gov.ie
Read more here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/fec91-community-centres-investment-fund/
