Community Recognition Fund 2024 - Call 3 - Expression of Interest
Expressions of Interest are invited for funding under Call 3 of the Community Recognition Fund 2024
Louth County Council, in conjunction with Louth’s Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), wish to announce an open call for Expressions of Interest under the next round of grant funding through the Community Recognition Fund 2024.
The Community Recognition Fund (CRF 2024) is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development, to recognise the huge efforts made by local communities in welcoming and supporting new arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
In this call, Louth County Council are seeking expressions of interest for projects that will be beneficial to the broadest possible population in an area.
A total fund of €1.3 million has been made available for the CRF 2024, to support medium to large-scale projects for not-for-profit community or voluntary groups in County Louth. This new round of funding will develop projects that will deliver long term benefits to those living in areas identified as having significant levels of new arrivals from Ukraine and other countries, and where there is a clear need for investment identified. The focus of the 2024 scheme is on projects of greater scale and impact.
The proposal must demonstrate that the funding is targeted at, and specifically invested in, those communities, villages and towns where the highest level of new arrivals are located and where there is a clear need for investment identified. In Louth, the areas with the highest number of new arrivals from Ukraine and other countries are: Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee, Termonfeckin, Clogherhead, Collon & Drumcar.
Projects situated in areas that do not have high levels of new arrivals will not be eligible for funding under the Community Recognition Fund 2024.
The minimum grant aid per individual project is €50,000, with a maximum potential grant of €500,000 applying. Match funding is not required. Projects to be funded will be capital in nature.
Type of projects eligible for funding are:
- development, enhancement or refurbishment of community or cultural facilities including play areas, walkways, parks, community/sensory gardens, allotments, and recreational areas;
- development, enhancement or refurbishment of local club and sports facilities including facilities such as changing rooms, toilets, digital aids such as score / information boards etc.;
- enhancement to school/parish facilities which are open to use by all of the community after school hours;
- purchase of equipment for local clubs, festivals, community events and organisations e.g. music, arts or sports equipment;
- transport infrastructure such as the purchase of community vehicles, bus shelters and attendant information boards; (any vehicle funded must be in good condition and not more than 5 years old)
- projects that help address dereliction and/or wider local economic and community development objectives;
- Purchase of land and associated works for the development of community facilities such as play areas/ MUGAs or town parks/ community gardens, recreational areas etc. (purchases must only be administered by the local authority).
Application Process
Only towns & villages that are hosting high levels of the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection or International Protection Applicants are eligible for this funding.
The funding allocation will be a competitive process, groups should endeavour to provide as much information as possible and to answer all parts of the Expression of Interest form fully.
Ensure accurate costings at application stage.
Projects must be able to be completed within the required timeframe.
Projects should be shovel ready with all permissions in place or at an advanced stage at the time of funding approval. 50% of project costs must be incurred in 2025 with the project completed in full by October 2026.
All submissions are subject to the Data Protection Act (as amended) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (as amended).
Expressions of interest need to be emailed in WORD format to funding@louthcoco.ie and should be received no later than by 12pm on Monday 6th January 2025. No late applications will be accepted.
For queries, please email funding@louthcoco.ie - ref: CRF2024