Minister Humphreys recently launched the 2024 Project Development Measure (PDM), via the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS). Meath County Council are now seeking expressions of interest for potential projects and these must be submitted by Friday 22^nd March  2024 to tro@meathcoco.ie.  The expression of interest form (to be returned) is available here.

The Town Centre First (TCF) policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports “Our Rural Future”, Ireland’s rural development policy which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being. It advocates for a holistic, place-based approach to sustainable rural development.  The policy seeks to support towns of all sizes, recognising each town is unique and diverse and acknowledges that a “one size fits all” approach will not achieve sustainable and thriving communities. Recognising that additional supports are required to achieve the TCF policy goals, this Suite of Supports will implement a series of measures for rural communities. Each measure is accompanied by its own eligibility criteria, thereby targeting a number of towns per county. 

I would like to now draw your attention to the criteria for PMD Scheme for this year:

Grant Levels:

For the 2024 PDM, the maximum level of grant funding available is €50,000 (incl of vat) in respect of two applications from each Local Authority.

Project Development Measure:

The Project Development Measures have previously been supported through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2021 & 2022 and are similar in nature to Category 2 projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

The purpose of this Project Development Measure (PDM) is to assist local authorities to contribute to a pipeline of significant, well developed projects which might be subsequently progressed to construction stage, subject to the availability of further funding.

Local authorities, in consultation with the TRO and local communities, may detail two project applications under this measure up to a maximum value of €50,000 per application at a grant rate of 90% of the total project costs per project application and a minimum match funding rate of 10% of the total project costs.

Scheme Focus:

Funding may be awarded for costs such as detailed design, planning, procurement, professional fees, assessments and other development costs, in order to get a project shovel ready for possible future category 1 funding calls Funding under this measure must be used for this sole purpose of developing the approved PDM projects and cannot be used in conjunction with other supported measures under this initiative.