Community Climate Action Fund
FYI: Following a meeting with CCC on the upcoming Climate Action Fund, we can now share details of this fund which will be open to community groups and organisations on the peninsula for climate action projects (energy, environment, transport, biodiversity etc). Here are the highlights but the Loop Head Together CLG would like to extend the offer of assistance to any group that might want it for putting through an application. Just get in touch!
Here is the info:
*The Fund opens on the 6th of December and closes on the 28th February
*Organisations / groups that can apply to the fund, have to have their own bank account and operate as a community organisation with correct governance (or they can partner with a larger group)
*Each organisation can only apply ONCE for this fund - however if they can put a few items into ONE project from across various themes - i.e. ONE project could cover an energy element, an environmental element and an active travel element all under the one application.
*Finally, projects who are successful in their application are likely to receive 100% funding for their projects -
Here is the FUND OVERVIEW FROM CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL
The overall objective of the Community Climate Action Programme is to support and empower communities, in partnership with their Local Authority, to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets. The Programme aims to support small and large, rural and urban communities to take climate action. This programme supports direct engagement with communities to both promote and assist in the scale up of community climate action from the respective starting points of the communities. Overview The Community Climate Action Programme has been developed under two strands addressing both direct climate action, and climate education and capacity building. An initial €24 million is being allocated over an 18-month period for strand 1. In parallel, the Government’s Shared Island Fund is providing €3 million for strand 1a of the Programme. Strand 2 has been allocated to Pobal for administration, applications for phase 1 are now closed. Strand 1: Action: Building Low Carbon Communities A total of €572,000 has been allocated to Clare County Council to work in partnership with communities, large and small, rural and urban, within County Clare to build low carbon communities in a considered and structured way. The funding covers 100% of the project costs, with prefunding available if required. The projects will take action across at least one, preferably several, of the following five themes: • Community and Energy • Travel • Food and waste • Shopping and recycling • Local climate and environmental action
Small scale projects: 10% of the funding allocated, €57,200 will be made available for to fund small projects up to €20,000. There is a separate simplified expression of interest form for small scale projects such as community composting, micro allotments, rooftop gardens, water refill stations, pollinator projects, small renewable energy projects, bike lockers, rewilding, rainwater harvesting for use in gardens/washing boots at sports fields etc. Medium scale projects: 40% of the funding allocated, €228,800, will be made available for medium sized projects valued in the range of €20,000 - €50,000. Large scale projects: 50% of the funding allocated, €286,000, will be made available for larger projects in the range of €51,000 - €100,000. Examples of potential medium and large scale projects: small community renewable energy projects (solar, hydro, wind), retrofitting community buildings, LED community lighting or community EV charging point(s), reductions in carbon footprint in services, improving access to cycle ways, cycle parking, safe or active travel routes to schools, developing community gardens to promote local food production, allotments, rooftop gardens ,market gardens, food pledges from local businesses, food markets, food hubs, repair hubs or community composting facilities, creating urban agriculture hubs, projects that increase the variety and number of recycling facilities in the local community; initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling, community repair hubs, swap shops, water filling stations or single use plastics elimination in businesses in communities, projects that take a holistic approach to managing the local environment, including in relation to climate action. This can include for example, mini forests, dispersed orchards, community gardens, roof gardens, pollinator projects or climate resilience projects.
Community Organisation Eligibility
Community Organisation Eligibility To be eligible to apply community organisations: • must be a not-for-profit organisation • must be located in the operational area of Clare County Council • must submit a completed application form on or before the specified closing date and time (yet to be announced) • must be registered with a PPN or connected with other collectives such as the Wheel, Tidy Towns and /or a community group with Articles of Association or a Constitution, which hold an AGM, and for which approved minutes are available • The project applied for must be in line with the aim/purpose of the funding. • Only one application per organisation may be submitted for consideration – projects proposed could cut across several of the themes and be bundled together as part of a single application. In developing projects, communities should also consider how their projects contribute to progress in relation to relevant Sustainable Development Goals. The following are not eligible to apply: • Private individuals • Commercial undertakings (including sole traders) • National community and environmental organisations. Strand 1a: Shared Island Community Climate Action - €3 million is being provided by the Government’s Shared Island Fund to support cross-border and all-island community climate action initiatives. Strand 1a projects will address the same five themes as strand 1 and must have a clear North/South basis, with a cross-border partnership approach and impact. At least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland. Strand 1a enables communities and Local Authorities to propose a cross-border project in partnership with organisations in Northern Ireland.
Application Process Applications are submitted through the completion and submission of a signed Expression of Interest form. This will be released once the launch date has been announced by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Please contact the Community Climate Action Officer Kelly Slattery on kslattery@clarecoco.ie / communityclimate@clarecoco.ie or Tel: 087 4777658 for further information.