From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has announced a €5 million funding call under the European Union’s Just Transition Fund (EU JTF) for local community organisations and small-to-medium sized enterprises in the Midlands region.
The EU JTF Community and Enterprise Grants scheme, administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, aims to provide communities in the wider Midlands area, formerly dependent on peat production, with the capacity to develop employment opportunities in the green, circular and low-carbon economy.
Funding of up to €300,000 is available for projects that build on the strengths of the local area, have an identified need, and create new job opportunities or increase the sustainability of existing jobs in the territory. Applications are being accepted until 22 February 2024.
Commenting on the launch of the new scheme, Minister Ryan said:
"I am delighted to announce the launch of this scheme, which aims to allow small-to-medium enterprises and community organisations to expand and diversify their local economies and contribute to positive social change in the Midlands.
"By creating opportunities for employment in the territory, these organisations can help to create an inclusive, attractive, healthy and sustainable place to live, work and visit right across the Midlands region.
"This scheme will assist with addressing the longer-term economic transition of the region arising from the end of commercial peat and reinforces our commitment to provide a sustainable and inclusive future for the Midlands region."
This scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF) programme. This programme supports projects in the EU Just Transition Fund Territory, consisting of Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon Counties and the Municipal Districts of Ballinasloe (Co Galway), Athy, Clane-Maynooth, (Co Kildare) and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co Tipperary).
The scheme is open for community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, micro and small-to-medium sized organisations to apply.
The objective of the EU JTF Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme is to provide direct supports to bottom-up initiatives that enhance the local and regional fabric in the territory by:
The call will support the following types of projects within the scope of support of the EU Just Transition Fund Regulation:
The EU JTF Community Enterprise Grants Scheme is structured to promote complementarity with other sources of funding. It is the second funding call that provides direct supports to the implementation of Local and Regional Economic Strategies, with the first call launched in Autumn 2023 targeting local authorities and larger initiatives. This grant scheme also complements the EU JTF schemes that support the bioeconomy, regenerative tourism and electric vehicle charging. This is in addition to other Exchequer and EU funding, including relevant funding available through Enterprise Ireland and the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI).
Cathaoirleach of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, Councillor Kate Feeney, said:
"I am delighted that this grants scheme is being launched today. With the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly’s (EMRA) role as Managing Authority of the EU Just Transition Fund programme, our assemblies stand behind our local community groups and SMEs. The funding complements the other supports through the EUJTF programme and ensures that grassroots initiatives have the resources they need to make effective change in our communities. With this support, the assembly is helping to foster a stronger, more resilient Midlands area."
Director of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, Clare Bannon said:
"EMRA is pleased to be launching the EUJTF Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme alongside the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and Pobal. This is a unique call that brings direct supports to bottom-up, democratically created local and regional development strategies for the wider Midlands area, and to the people and groups that will help make those strategies a success. This grant funding scheme is a testament to the grassroots innovation that fuels the wider Midland region's vitality. This call ensures that community groups, micro, small and medium sized enterprises that are the heartbeat of local communities, can drive job creation and enhance the sustainability of the territory into the future."
Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:
"Pobal is delighted to continue to work with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly on the EU Just Transition Fund Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme – a very timely and important initiative to support micro, small-to-medium sized enterprises, community and voluntary organisation and social enterprises in the wider Midlands region.
"This scheme will particularly support enterprises to create jobs and nurture skills of communities that may have been negatively affected by the transition from peat extraction to a low-carbon economy. In Pobal, we recognise the value of this fund and are proud to support it. We look forward to working with all stakeholder organisations in the region to making this scheme a success."
Supported projects will align with local and regional economic strategies as well as the wider strategic goals of a green, smart and social territory that underpin this call.
Further information on the how to apply for funding and to register for support webinars can be found on the Pobal website.
Ireland’s EU Just Transition Fund programme is targeted at the wider Midlands region as it transitions away from peat extraction for energy use. The designated EU JTF territory in Ireland is 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).
The following organisations are eligible to apply for funding under the scheme:
The purpose of the EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF), co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union, is to assist the territories most affected by the transition to a climate-neutral economy. In Ireland, this focuses on the wider Midlands region, where there have been direct impacts from the move away from peat production and electricity generation from peat. To facilitate a just transition towards a low-carbon economy in the Midlands, the EU and the Government of Ireland have established a €169 million Just Transition Fund Programme for the period 2023-2026.
The programme priorities of the EU JTF are as follows:
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 open and future funding calls, is available on the EMRA website.
Funding of up to €1 million is available to projects to implement 'Local Economic and Community Plans' within the Just Transition territory. This could include the expansion of education, training or skills programmes or investments in heritage infrastructure across the region, for example. Organisations that submitted a concept paper by 17 November have been invited to submit a full application between 11 December 2023 and 23 January 2024.
This scheme is part of the first call that provides direct supports to the implementation of Local and Regional Economic Strategies, launched in Autumn 2023 targeting local authorities and larger initiatives. The LRESSS is administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Further information is available on Pobal’s website.
€17 million has been allocated to the EUJTF Investment Grant-Aid Scheme for Private and Community SMEs, which is part of Fáilte Ireland’s overall Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme 2023-2026. Its purpose is to deliver grant-aid to private and community-based micro enterprises and SMEs to help them improve the quality of the visitor experience with the ambition of attracting more visitors, increasing their dwell time, and securing overnight stays in the region because the visitor has confidence that there’s lots to see and do. Further information and closing dates are available on Fáilte Ireland’s website.
Fáilte Ireland is currently inviting Expressions for Interest for its Tourism Learning Network Programme, as part of the EU Just Transition Fund Regenerative Tourism & Placemaking Scheme for Ireland’s Midlands 2023-2026. This new Tourism Learning Network Programme is designed to build tourism business’ capabilities to help grow and future-proof their sustainable development. The programme is open to existing and new tourism businesses, public sector partners and individuals located within the EU Just Transition territory. It provides a unique opportunity for participants to benefit from a fully-funded programme of tailored professional development supports that enhances their tourism skillsets and supports the transition from employment in the peat or electricity production to a career in the tourism industry. Expressions of Interest will be accepted until Thursday, 22 February 2024. Further information is available on Fáilte Ireland’s website.