Community Recognition Fund 2024-Call 2

The Community Recognition Fund was introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 Scheme, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects in cities, towns and villages nationwide. Based on the continued impacts on communities throughout the country and the need to support these communities in welcoming new arrivals, a further €50 million is being provided under the Community Recognition Fund 2024.

Fingal County Council has been allocated €1,538,573 by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) to deliver projects over 2024 and 2025, with funding allocated across 3 application windows as outlined in the table below:

Funding

Funding is targeted to invest in those communities, villages and towns where the highest level of new arrivals are located and where a clear need for investment is identified. Projects located in areas that do not have high levels of new arrivals will not be deemed eligible for funding.

Projects to be funded will be capital in nature and shall deliver medium-long term benefits for the communities in which they are located. Projects relating to ongoing operational/running costs are not eligible for funding. The delivery of the project must be completed over the course of 2024 and 2025. The Council is required to reserve a minimum of 20% and may reserve up to 50% of the allocation for expenditure in 2025 to respond to changing circumstances in communities.

The minimum level of funding for an individual project is €50,000 with a maximum of €500,000 applying to any single project. Smaller projects cannot be artificially combined to meet the minimum threshold of €50,000. The 2023 Community Recognition Fund provided funding for small scale investment in communities, however the focus of the 2024 Scheme is on capital projects of greater scale and impact.

Local authorities have scope to invest the funding based on local needs, as identified through a “bottom-up” approach based on community engagement.

The type of projects eligible for funding under the Community Recognition Fund 2024 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 community swimming pools, 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 and refurbishment of vacant or derelict buildings for community use where a clear need is identified.
• 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:

This funding is allocated across 3 application call windows, as outlined in the above table.

Call 1 is now closed and applications are currently under review by the DRCD. Applicants will be notified of their application's status as soon as the DRCD completes its approval process.

The closing date for Call 2 applications is 5pm on Tuesday 13th August.

Application Process – Call 2:

Call 2 is now open and applicants are eligible to apply for projects.

It should be noted that applicants who previously applied under Call 1 may apply for projects under Call 2 regardless of the status of their Call 1 application.

The allocation of funding will be a competitive process and project proposals will be evaluated by the Council for further engagement with the applicants to agree the project requirements which will then be submitted to the DRCD for approval to proceed.

The Council is targeting the second call for funding to meeting the emerging needs of new community groups/clubs or existing clubs who have a need for a premises.

In this call the Council will seek to acquire land or a building to meet the need(s) of community groups/clubs. The Council is seeking expressions of interest from new community groups/clubs or existing clubs who have need for a premises. 

 Community groups/clubs who wish to apply for funding under Call 2 must be:

• registered with the Fingal PPN
• have a minimum of 80% of their members living in the administrative area of Fingal
• be constituted for at least 12 months
• be located in areas which have welcomed high levels of new arrivals (as set out below)

The target areas eligible for funding under this call are based on numbers and areas hosting high levels of the beneficiaries of Temporary Protection or International Protection Applicants in the Fingal administrative area: 

1. Swords
2. Howth
3. Castleknock
4. Blanchardstown
5. Skerries
6. Donabate
7. Balbriggan

Applicants must be located in one of the seven areas listed above to be eligible for funding under this Call.

Applicants are advised that the minimum level of funding for an individual project is €50,000 with a maximum of €500,000 applying to any single project. 

Applicants are advised that where a project proposal is for the acquisition of land/building that the Council is required to make the acquisition directly. Acquisitions will be subject to the availability of suitable land/buildings in the area and the market value of the land/buildings within the funding criteria set out above.

Applicants are advised that where an acquisition is made to meet a community group/club need that any refurbishment/redevelopment work required to the land/building will be subject to the availability of additional funding and subject to planning permission, if required.

Applications which meet the needs of a number of community groups/clubs will be prioritised i.e. where groups/clubs come together in a network of 3 or more different community groups who are willing to co-locate and share responsibility for the operation/ maintenance of the building as co-tenants.

Interested community groups/clubs should carefully consider their requirements and the possible costs involved in terms of the future operation and maintenance of a facility by the group/club when submitting an expression of interest under this Call. The application form should be completed fully and include as much information as possible with detail provided on the community groups/clubs involved in the application.

To apply for the Community Recognition Fund – Call 2 please click on link or QR code below:

https://submit.link/2Hq

Please note that 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).

The Department of Rural and Community Development has published the full details of the scheme (including funding allocations) at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/e626a-community-recognition-fund-2023/

 The Council will issue 1 further call under CRF 2024, the details of which will be published in due course by the Council and for which eligible community groups/clubs who were unsuccessful in Call 1 or 2 may apply for funding for projects. Please monitor the Council’s communications platforms for information on further funding calls under CRF 2024.