Local community groups and SMEs in the Midlands to receive grant funding of nearly €3.8 million under EU JTF programme
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From: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
- Published on: 31 July 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, today has announced that 15 sustainability-focused projects in the Midlands will receive grants under the EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF) programme, co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
The projects, put forward by voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, as well as micro and small to medium sized enterprises, have been awarded grant funding of between €50,000 and €300,000 to invest in ideas from the community that create employment and diversify the local economy of the Midlands region. The grants will enable projects to develop initiatives such as innovation and community hubs, green energy projects and heritage initiatives.
The total amount committed to selected projects from the EU Just Transition Fund is now nearly €54 million, following the recent announcement of projects selected through the EU JTF Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme run by Fáilte Ireland and the EU JTF Local and Regional Economic Strategy Support Scheme run by Pobal. Further project announcements are expected shortly.
Commenting on the projects approved for funding under the scheme, Minister Ryan stated:
"Small-to-medium enterprises and local community organisations are the life blood of a region, creating jobs, helping to diversify the economy and generating ideas and innovation. This funding will empower local organisations to respond to Ireland’s shift to a low-carbon economy, while providing economic and social benefit at a local level for the individuals most impacted by this transition".
Clare Bannon, Acting Director of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), said:
"EMRA welcomes the announcement of selected projects that have been envisioned and created by the local community in the wider Midlands area. Bringing direct financial support to bottom-up ideas not only drives the innovative capacity of the entire region but also fosters vibrant placemaking that enriches the quality of life for its residents. This is crucial for enabling sustainable and inclusive regional development that leaves no one behind."
Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare commented:
"We in Pobal look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly on this EU Just Transition Fund scheme to support small organisations to support the decarbonisation of the Midlands. By investing in these organisations, communities and enterprises will be supported to build skills, generate jobs, enhance livelihoods and diversify the economy. We look forward also to engaging with these Midland communities as they work to contribute to the transition to a low carbon economy."
Barbara Nolan, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, said:
"Local projects are key to ensuring that the EU Green Deal has a real impact on the ground. The Just Transition Fund will support Ireland's Midlands to progress towards a more sustainable economy with local communities in the driving seat."
The approved projects will deliver significant benefits to the region, including:
- An innovative series of initiatives to develop the bioeconomy sector
- Training and upskilling in sustainable sectors for communities previously reliant on peat production
- The preservation, repurposing and refurbishment of local infrastructure and heritage assets for use as enterprise space
- Innovation in green technology, including renewable energy and sustainable energy practices
- Circular economy initiatives to support sustainable production and consumption of goods and services
Projects have been selected through a competitive process under the EU Just Transition Fund's Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme, which is the second call within the broader Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme. This current announcement of projects builds upon the previous selection of projects announced on 26 April 2024, in which 15 other projects from the midlands received grants totalling €18 million.
The scheme was developed through close collaboration between the Department and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), the Managing Authority for the EU Just Transition Fund, and is being administered through Pobal. It seeks to support the implementation of bottom-up local and regional strategies. Successful projects were required to demonstrate close alignment with locally-led Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs).
List of selected projects
| Project name | Organisation | Location | Funding amount |
| Strawchip | Strawchip Ltd | Ballycullane | €300,000 |
| CycleUp | Roscommon Women's Network | Castlerea | €188,649 |
| Derrymore Sphagnum Farm | Derrymore Peat Ltd | Longford | €300,000 |
| Ecochip Energy | Ecochip Energy Ltd | Castlepollard | €300,000 |
| Ethica Planet - Mycelium | Ethica Planet Foods Ltd | Tullamore | €250,000 |
| Waste Substrate Recycling | Kelly's Nursery Ltd | Mullingar | €300,000 |
| Renewables Training Delivery | SCT Consultancy Ltd | Thurles | €207,735 |
| Offshore Piling Noise Reduction System | Justin Cunningham Ltd | Cashel | €299,838 |
| Training Centre and Office | All About Trees Ltd | Highfield | €296,774 |
| Poet's Cottage Community Café | Camross Heritage Ltd | Camross | €256,403 |
| EV Technician Training | Primo Coachworks Ltd | Ferbane | €172,578 |
| Insulation Retrofit Training/Staff | Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative Company Limited by Guarantee | Nenagh | €172,152 |
| Peatlands for Prosperity | Green Restoration Ireland Cooperative Society Ltd | Offaly | €299,054 |
| Waste Plastic Disposal Facility | Alister Future Technologies | Longford | €300,000 |
| The Social Enterprise Exchange | Cluster Centre Platform Ltd | Athlone (Roscommon) | €129,999 |
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
The Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme is one portion of the wider Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme, and provides de minimis grant funding to micro- and SMEs, community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations operating in the wider Midlands. Previous calls under the Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme supported Local Authorities, local development companies, community organisations, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, and other public bodies in the wider Midlands. These schemes are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund programme 2021-2027 which supports the workers and communities most negatively impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy by supporting the development of sustainable and resilient communities in the Midlands.
This programme focuses its activities in the designated EU Just Transition Fund Territory, defined as the counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon and the Municipal Districts of Ballinasloe (Co Galway), Athy, Clane-Maynooth, (Co Kildare) and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co Tipperary).
Further information on the scheme is available on the Pobal website.
EU Just Transition Fund
The EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a new fund created to support the regions and communities in Europe that are most negatively affected by the transition to climate neutrality and to promote socio-economic transition, ensuring that no one is left behind.
The EU JTF aims to address employment, economic, social and environmental impacts that come with the shift away from carbon-intense activities. The funding programme in Ireland will support the areas in the wider Midlands where communities have been negatively affected by the closure of peat production and peat-fired energy generation facilities.
Ireland is set to receive up to €84.5 million from the EU Just Transition Fund over the period to 2027. With the Government of Ireland's match funding using Exchequer resources, up to €169 million will be available in the period up to 2027.
By providing opportunities for employment in the Territory, the EU JTF can help to create an inclusive, attractive, healthy and sustainable place to live, work and visit.
The programme priorities of the EU JTF are as follows:
- Generating employment by investing in the diversification of the local economy
- Restoration of degraded peatlands and regeneration of industrial heritage assets
- Smart and sustainable local mobility
The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) are the Managing Authority for Ireland's EU Just Transition Fund Programme.
Further information, including programme documentation, and links to information about previous, currently open and future funding calls, is available on the EMRA website.