Publication
Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Funding Scheme 2024
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Objective/Rationale
- 3. Applications
- 4. Eligibility
- 5. What will not be funded
- 6. Marking Scheme
- 7. Contact point
- 8. Appeals Process
- 9. Deadlines
- 10. Freedom of Information Act
- 11. Privacy Statement
- 12. How to apply
During 2024 the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media will operate a fund for Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools to support the high level goal of the Department in relation to enhancing access to the arts, culture and film sectors and recognising the social and economic role of these sectors in Ireland.
The projects make a very important contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's sustainable cultural tourism offering, to the benefit of both the domestic and foreign tourist and represent an important component of the delivery of the cultural tourism commitments in the Programme for Government.
The maximum amount of funding per applicant is proposed to be in the order of €5,000.
This scheme assists the Department in achieving its objective to support and develop engagement with and in, the arts, culture and creativity by individuals and communities, enriching lives through cultural activity. Projects funded under the scheme must enhance access to the arts, culture and film sectors recognising the social and economic role of these sectors in Ireland.
Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme is reserved for appropriate not-for-profit festivals, summer schools and other such similar events.
The Scheme is designed to support small local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other central Government monies and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. Events which are funded by the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland are not eligible.
Applications must :
• not be in receipt of funding from the Arts Council or Fáilte Ireland for the event which is subject of the application. This includes Arts Council/ Fáilte Ireland core funding where the event forms part of core business.
• clearly set out the objective, purpose and targeted end result of the proposed project;
• demonstrate the extent to which the project meets the objectives of the Scheme with particular reference to the Summer Schools or Festivals element;
• delineate all of the project costs and income in tabular format;
• confirm that bodies, organisations and institutions operate as not for profit; the Department may seek evidence such as Memorandum & Articles of Association to demonstrate not-for-profit status.
• outline any details of funding from any other public body or clearly note where you are not in receipt of such funding;
• confirm that the project is realistic in terms of scale, capacity to deliver, costs, assistance sought and timeframe for delivery;
• warrant that all representations made in pursuit of the application for funding are accurate and true;
• have all the requisite regulatory approvals in place;
• be tax compliant - Please note applications cannot be assessed without a tax reference number
• provide copies of event insurance/ public liability insurance/ other appropriate insurance;
• provide details of initiatives in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; the Irish language; or Climate Action;
• provide evidence that the organisation has signed up to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour https://www.safetocreate.ie/ ; and
• not use hyperlinks to additional material as this will not be included in the assessment
Applications are assessed on a competitive basis and assessment committee’s decision is final.
If the application is successful we will require confirmation that the Local Authority have been notified at least one month before the event.
The following criteria for eligibility apply:
• Only one application per body for one event or project will be considered
• Applicants are not permitted to seek funding from any other scheme administered by the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit (Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme, Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme, Small Scale Local Festival and Summer Schools Funding Scheme, Mobility of Collections Scheme) for the same project. If the same project seeks funding for more than one scheme, one or both applications may be rejected
• Applicants funded directly by Fáilte Ireland and/ or the Arts Council will not be eligible for funding under this Scheme
• Organisations or events in receipt of core operational funding (that is, direct funding from the Culture division) of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media are not eligible for funding under this scheme
• Organisations must sign up to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour in order to be considered eligible https://www.safetocreate.ie/
Payment will be made on receipt of paid invoices accompanied by relevant reports and proof of payment in the form of bank statements. Cash payments cannot be reimbursed.
Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this scheme may result in funding being withdrawn and/or being excluded from application to further schemes for a determined duration.
To provide further clarity, below is a list of items which fall outside the scope of the scheme and will not be eligible for funding. This list is not exhaustive and the appraisal committee reserve the right to refuse any application.
1. Capital projects (e.g. equipment, musical instruments, plaques, statues, and so on)
2. Sports days and sporting events
3. Family Fun Day events (Bouncy Castles, Clowns and Face Painting and so on)
4. Boot camps
5. Food Festivals
6. Commercial events / Profit making enterprise
7. Tidy Towns Events
8. Receptions, including catering and alcohol
9. Accommodation, subsistence and meals
10. Payments made in cash
11. Mileage / travel costs
12. Prizes and Vouchers
13. Gifts
14. Invoices in the name of the applicant/organisation or companies owned by the applicant
15. Regular operational costs, including salaries, overheads and accountancy fees
Applications will be marked on the following criteria:
• Extent to which the projects meets the objectives of the scheme
• Realistic in terms of scale, costs, assistance sought and timeframe for delivery
• Demonstrate capacity to deliver project
• Level of own or supporting contribution (non-state) towards the project
• Inclusion of initiatives in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; the Irish Language or Climate Action
All queries can be emailed to F&SS@tcagsm.gov.ie
If you have an application number, please remember to include this in all correspondence.
Please also note that this document may be updated from time to time.
Who can appeal:
An appeal may be made by an applicant if the applicant considers that the process for reviewing their application was not adhered to. The applicant must be in receipt of a decision email from the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit in order to make an appeal.
How you can appeal:
An appeal must be made within 5 working days of the date on the decision email. It is necessary to clearly set out the grounds for your appeal in an email which should be sent to the Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit Appeals Officer at F&SS@tcagsm.gov.ie stating “Appeal” along with your application number in the subject line of the email.
The closing date for receipt of applications for funding under the Scheme is 1pm on 26th April 2024.
Any funds allocated must be drawn down in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the letter of offer no later than the 27th September 2024. Requests for payment will no longer be accepted after the final date and funding will be withdrawn from projects who have not completed full draw down by that date.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, details contained in applications and supporting documents may, on request, be released to third parties. If there is information contained in your application which is sensitive, please identify it and provide an explanation as to why it should not be disclosed. If a request to release sensitive information under the legislation is received, you will be consulted before a decision is made whether or not to release the information. However, in the absence of the identification of particular information as sensitive, it may be disclosed without any consultation with you.
The Department is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and employs appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access. The Department will not process your personal data for any purpose other than that for which they were collected. Personal data may be exchanged with other Government Departments, local authorities, agencies under the aegis of the Department, or other public bodies, in certain circumstances where this is provided for by law.
The Department will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and subsequently processed. When the business need to retain this information has expired, it will be examined with a view to destroying the personal data as soon as possible, and in line with Department policy.
Further information on Data Protection can be found on our website at:
Please note an official announcement with approved allocations will be published on the Department’s website.
Applicants must read the scheme guidelines before starting the application. The application form is available here - https://artsandculture.submit.com/show/49. The applicant will need to register before commencing the application.
The applicant should ensure that their application form is completed in full and submitted. A draft version of the application can be saved before it is submitted – but please note that draft applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Once an application form has been submitted, a confirmation email from Submit.com will issue to the applicants’ email address. If this has not been received, the application form has not been submitted correctly, and cannot be considered. If you have not received a confirmation of submission please contact the Department as soon as possible to confirm your application has been received.
