Strand1 a - Shared Island Community Climate Action Grants
This application is being processed by Offaly County Council. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact us on 057 93 46800 and ask for the Community Climate Action Officer, Sinead McEvoy or email climate@offalycoco.ie .
€3 million Euro's of Funding from the Government’s Shared Island Fund is available for cross-border or all-island projects, which have a clear North/South basis and demonstrate the impact of the project in contributing to climate and energy targets on the island of Ireland and the sustainability objectives in the Shared Island chapter of the revised National Development Plan 2021-30.
Proposals must include at least one partner in Northern Ireland, and at least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland.
Strand 1a applications must comprise a cross-border project, working with counterparts in Northern Ireland and in partnership with the lead partner’s local authority.
Community and voluntary groups and organisations in County Offaly can use this form to express their interest in engaging in a partnership project as the lead partner with Offaly County Council to seek funding under:
1. Strand 1a: Shared Island Community Climate Action.
The grant sizes and 5 Project themes are the same as Strand 1. Please ensure that you are fully familiar with the requirements and the terms and conditions set out below before you begin filling in this form.
There are 6 main sections to this form and each section must be fully completed:
Section 1: Tell us about your group or organisation
Section 2: Include details about your project
Section 3: State Aid Questionnaire
Section 4: De Minimis Questionnaire
Section 5: Authorisation & Statutory Consents
Section 6: Declaration by applicants
We can only assess forms that have been fully completed. Incomplete forms will not be considered for funding. Successful applications for funding under this programme will only be paid to the lead applicant group/organisation’s Bank Account. Please ensure you have your Bank Account details to hand if your application is successful.
Who can apply
Groups/organisations who are involved in Climate Action initiatives on a not for profit basis at community level. These can include Sports Clubs, Community Groups, Community Enterprise Centres, Climate Action Groups, Residents Associations & Youth Clubs . These are examples of qualifying organisations but this is not an exhaustive list. Organisations meeting the requirements listed below are eligible to act as the lead partner under strand 1a :
- Must be not for profit.
- Must be located within the operational area of Offaly County Council .
- Must be registered with a PPN or connected with other collectives such as the Wheel or Tidy Towns 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 as set out in the section on projects eligible for funding below.
Additionally:
- Strand 1a applications must be made by a lead organisation in this jurisdiction, with at least one partner organisation in Northern Ireland.
- Strand 1a applications will be submitted to the LA in this jurisdiction in which the lead organisation is based.
- Strand 1a applications must comprise a cross-border project in partnership with an organisation in Northern Ireland.
- Given the scope for all-island projects, national community and environmental organisations are eligible to apply under strand 1a.
- Partner organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation, a Local Authority, or a community or environmental organisation, registered in Northern Ireland.
The following are not eligible to act as the lead organisation or the Northern Ireland Partner:
- Private individuals
- Commercial undertakings (including sole traders).
Furthermore:
- The project applied for must be in line with the aim/purpose of the funding as set out below.
- Only one application per lead 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.
Projects eligible for funding under Strand1a:
The types of projects/initiatives, within communities, which are eligible for funding under strand 1a, must seek to do the following on a cross-border basis on the island of Ireland:
- reduce, or support the reduction of, greenhouse gas emissions
- increase the production, or use, of renewable energy
- improve energy efficiency
- increase climate resilience
- identify nature-based projects that enhance biodiversity and seek to reduce, or increase the removal of, greenhouse gas emissions or support climate resilience
- assist regions within sectors of the economy impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy
- involve potentially innovative solutions to address the above asks.
Projects eligible for funding specifically under Strand 1a
While projects seeking funding under strand 1a should generally address the same five themes as strand 1 projects, there are also specific areas that may be particularly suited to a Shared Island approach. In recognition of the integration of climate and biodiversity action policies, these could include:
- Valuing Networks for Nature: Communities working together in nature recovery networks or ‘wildlife web’ and developing corridors of natural vegetation between existing conservation areas.
- Sustainable farming: Programmes focusing on regenerative and nature-based farming on a cross-border and all-island basis could be developed and expanded.
- Just Transition: Recognising the importance of a just transition for farmers and encouraging different agricultural practices on a cross-border and all-island basis, including to improve and protect land and water quality.
- Peatland restoration: This has been identified as a key area of work, North and South, given the trans-boundary implications for carbon storage levels and inventory reporting, with potential for community and Local Authority cooperative interventions in border regions.
- Renewable energy: Encouraging groups to build cooperation and share information in the areas of solar, off-shore wind, wave and tidal energy. Some Local Authorities have already engaged in these areas and cross-border partnerships offer additional potential to develop projects and seek solutions.
- Flood forecasting: Using the “bottom-up” approach adopted by the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, small scale collaborations on flood forecasting and warning services could be piloted in particular -border regions.
- Coastal erosion: Potential for significant cooperation in research, data-sharing and mitigation between communities and Local Authorities across the island.
Terms and Conditions
Community Climate Action Fund - Terms and Conditions Strand 1a
- Offaly County Council will only provide funds for eligible costs to groups/organisations that are directly involved in approved projects at a community level, on a not-for-profit basis, aimed at shaping and building low carbon communities.
- Applications for projects must demonstrate that they do not have the funding available to undertake the work without grant aid, or alternatively that the grant will enable the group to undertake more work which your group/organisation would otherwise not be able to afford.
- 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. Offaly County Council and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) reserve the right to publish a list of all grants awarded on its website.
- The Freedom of Information Act applies to all records held by DECC and Offaly County Council.
- The application must be signed by the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, or responsible person of the group/organisation making the submission.
- It is the responsibility of each group/organisation to ensure that it has proper procedures and policies in place including appropriate insurance where relevant. Offaly County Council must be named and indemnified on both groups/organisations Public Liability Policy under any grant agreement.
- Please submit 3 quotes for the application phase of the programme but note that if your group / organisation is awarded a grant that the following will apply. In line with the Office of Government Public Procurement Guidelines and Offaly County Councils Corporate Procurement Plan , if the group/organisation are doing works eg installation of solar panels for the community hall –5 written quotations from suitable candidates must be sought up to a value of €200,000 ex vat. Quotations can be sought via email etc, or through eTenders. If it’s over €200k ex vat, then it must be advertised on eTenders. If its goods/services eg purchase of bikes for a bike library- 3 quotations up to €50k ex vat must be sought. If its over €50k ex vat, it must be advertised on eTenders. Proof of quotations sought must be submitted with all applications and kept on file.
- Quotes submitted must be valid for at least 12 months.
- Expressions of Interest will only be accepted on this form.
- Evidence of expenditure, receipts /invoices must be retained and provided to Offaly County Council or their representative to support payment of funds.
- Photographic evidence of the project will also be required to facilitate draw down of grants.
- DECC or Offaly County Council may carry out unannounced site visits to verify compliance with Programme terms and conditions.
- Projects under Strand 1a must have a clear North/South basis and demonstrate the impact of the project in contributing to climate and energy targets on the island of Ireland and the sustainability objectives in the Shared Island chapter of the revised National Development Plan 2021-30.
- Applications to strand 1 and strand 1a must be separate. The Climate Action Fund, or Shared Island Fund, contributions must be publicly acknowledged in all materials associated with the purpose of the grant.
- No third party or intermediary applications will be considered.
- Breaches of the terms and conditions of this programme may result in sanctions including return of funds already granted and disbarment from future grant applications.
- A grant agreement will be put in place between successful applicants and Offaly County Council.
- To process your application, it may be necessary for Offaly County Council to collect personal data from you. Such information will be processed in line with Offaly County Council’s privacy statement which is available to view on: