Department of Rural and Community Development
Community Recognition Fund 2024
The Community Recognition Fund aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities for the entire community in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in cities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants including towns identified for the rapid build homes programme. The Fund aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. It is separate in its objectives and scope to any other public funding streams which aim to support the development of public service needs arising from the significant number of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
2024 Community Recognition Fund
The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects in support 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. Of this fund, €1,465,434 is allocated to County Tipperary.
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. Projects situated in areas that do not have high levels of new arrivals are not deemed eligible.
Projects to be funded will be capital in nature, deliver medium-long term benefits for the communities in which they are located, and be capable of being delivered over the course of 2025 and 2026. A minimum spend of 50% of the allocation must be incurred in 2025. Eligible projects will receive funding for capital costs, but not for any ongoing operational or running costs.
The minimum level of funding for an individual project is €50,000 with a maximum of €500,000 applying. Smaller projects cannot be artificially combined to meet the minimum threshold of €50,000 – while the 2023 scheme provided funding for small scale investment in clubs and communities (e.g. for small scale equipment), the focus of the 2024 scheme is on projects of greater scale and impact.
Local authorities have scope to invest the funding based on their own distinct local needs as identified through a “bottom-up” approach based on community engagement.
However, the 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 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).
Tipperary County Council have been awarded €1,465,434 under this funding.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The grant is offered subject to the following conditions:
Grant drawdown will be paid as per the scheme outline with the following documentary support required;
i. The funding proposal form with the associated community application forms.
ii. Procurement documentation, including;
a. requests for tenders or quotations,
b. tenders or quotations received,
c. tender report detailing how the tenders or quotations were assessed and the rationale for selecting the successful tender, and
d. where goods, services, or works are procured through existing frameworks, details of the framework(s) used.
iii. Original or certified copies of invoices detailing the works carried out, or goods or services provided, and stamped or marked as funded under the Community Recognition Fund.
iv. Proof of payment including bank statements and relevant printouts from the recipient’s financial management system.
v. A summary of invoices as detailed above and the claim drawdown request form (Funding Drawdown Request Claim Form).
vi. Details of any other contribution from any other public funded scheme.
vii. Documentary evidence (electronic or hard copy) of match funding received.
viii. Tax clearance certificates of any recipients of onward transmission of funding, where the payments total €10,000 or more in a 12-month period or €650 for construction operations.
ix. Evidence of ownership documentation and lease agreements.
x. A case study report including photos to demonstrate the project has been completed and may also be used for promotion purposes by the Department. Photos should also show that required signage has been erected to reference funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Detailed Terms & conditions
- Grants should only be used for the purposes approved by the Department
- Organisations should have appropriate governance in place to oversee funds, manage procurement procedures and record all required documentation throughout the project
- The recipient shall adhere to relevant EU and national public procurement requirements.
- Any change in the purpose of the grant aid, change in key elements or re-allocation across key elements must be requested in writing and no changes should be made until the local authority requests and confirms permission of the Department for same
- The project, and all approved elements of the project, must be completed and all grant aid claims submitted to the Department no later than 18th October 2026 unless otherwise agreed by the Department.
- The Department may de-commit grant aid if the project, or approved elements of the project, are not completed by 18th October 2026.
- The Department may de-commit funding prior to 18th October 2026 if it considers the project cannot realistically be completed by this date.
- The grant aided project must operate as approved for a minimum of five years following the date of final payment of grant aid by the Department or the final commissioning of the project, whichever is the longer.
- The recipient undertakes to protect the State’s investment and will not use it as security for any other activity without the consent of the Department.
- The recipient shall ensure that all assets funded in whole or in part by the Community Recognition Fund 2023 shall be maintained in good order, repair and condition.
- The recipient shall not dispose of grant aided assets within a period of six years from date of final payment of grant aid without prior approval of the Department.
- Assets purchased by the Community Recognition Fund 2024 shall not be hired out, pledged, mortgaged or charged for financial gain without prior approval of the Department
- The recipient will facilitate a site visit to produce a report signed declaration confirming project elements approved by the Department have been completed
- PROJECT IRELAND 2040 / OUR RURAL FUTURE BRANDING - Recipients will acknowledge the support of the Department of Rural and Community Development, Our Rural Future and Project Ireland 2040 and any other applicable sources of funding in all public announcements (including online), advertising and signage, as appropriate, relating to the project.
- The Department must be notified at least one month in advance of any opening of a funded facility/amenity.
- The Minister and the local authority shall not be liable for any accidents, illnesses or claims arising out of any work grant aided by the Department.
- The recipient shall retain and shall maintain all insurances adequate and necessary to operate and deliver the project.
- If the project involves works on buildings or lands that are not owned by the recipient, a minimum five-year lease must be in place from the date of final payment of grant aid or commissioning of the project, whichever is longer.
- If the project involves building, renovation or construction works, the recipient must meet all statutory requirements, including Health & Safety and ensure all necessary planning requirements, permissions and consents are in place prior to commencing those works.
- The recipient must ensure all relevant assurances are established in respect of tax compliance of contractors and suppliers and evidence of compliance must be provided at claim stage, as set out in Circular 44/2006 “Tax Clearance Procedures Grants, Subsidies and Similar Type Payments” and When is a Tax Clearance Certificate required? (revenue.ie)
- Only non-recoverable VAT, that is where a recipient is not registered for VAT, is eligible for funding, and written confirmation must be obtained from the Revenue Commissioners and dated no more than three months prior to any expenditure claim.
- 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.
- 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 Freedom of Information Act applies to all records held by the Department and Local Authorities.
- The application must be signed by the Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer of the organisation making the submission.
- It is the responsibility of each organisation to ensure that it has proper procedures and policies in place, including appropriate insurance, where relevant.
- Evidence of expenditure, receipts /invoices must be retained and provided to the local authority or their representative if requested.
- Breaches of the terms and conditions of the grants scheme may result in sanctions including disbarment from future grant applications.
- Please ensure the application form is completed in full. Incomplete applications will not be returned for further information and will slow down the funding process.
- In order to process your application it may be necessary for Tipperary County 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 https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/sites/default/files/2023-11/ECRD%20Privacy%20Statement%202023.pdf.
- The recipient and Department agree that they are subject to the data protection and privacy laws of Ireland and the EU, in particular the Data Protection Act 2018 and Regulation (EU) 2016/679, known as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
By proceeding with this application, you consent that the application will only be shared with the relevant Tipperary County Council staff. Application information may also be shared with independent evaluators and elected members for the purposes of project evaluation and consultation. Individual contact details will not be shared during this process.
For queries relating to this scheme, email ecrdgrants@tipperarycoco.ie