The EU JTF Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme has now been launched and is open for applications. The scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF) and is the second funding call that provides support to the implementation of Local and Regional Economic Strategies.

This scheme will provide up to €300,000 to community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, and micro and small to medium sized enterprises operating in the wider Midlands area (see ‘Eligible area for scheme’ below). The grants aim to support projects that will contribute to a green transition and a sustainable local economy, including through creating sustainable employment and building relevant capacities within local communities. All successful projects must demonstrate how they contribute to the implementation of the relevant Local and Regional Economic Strategies (see below).

Please note that the EU JTF Community and Enterprise Grants Scheme is subject to the De Minimis Regulation.

Successful projects will be delivered from June 2024 to 31 March 2026.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, 22 February 2024.

Scope of Projects

The following types of projects will be supported in this scheme:

• Innovation in energy and resource efficiency
• Circular Economy
• Training and upskilling
• Retrofit readiness
• Digitalisation and Connectivity
• Bioeconomy
• Nature restoration and regeneration
• Renewable energy and heat networks

Read more on each of these project types in the Application Guidelines document.

Eligible area for this Scheme

The ‘designated areas’, for the purposes of this grant funding are Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. There are also three counties which are partially included, namely parts of Galway (Ballinasloe), Kildare (Athy, Clane-Maynooth) & Tipperary (Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles). Please see below the map of the EU Just Transition Fund territory in Ireland for further detail. All projects must be delivered in or provide benefit to the eligible territory.

Eligble organisations

The following organisations are eligible to apply for funding under the scheme:

• Community and Voluntary Organisations (CVOs) or Not for Profit Organisations (NGOs)
• Social Enterprises (SEs)
• Micro, Small to Medium Sized Organisations (MSME)

For a full list of eligible organisations, see the Application Guidelines.

Key Dates

About the overall Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme

The overall objective of the Scheme, as part of Ireland’s EU JTF Programme, is to support the implementation of bottom-up local and regional economic strategies to promote the generation of employment for communities previously reliant on peat production by investing in the modernisation and diversification of the local economy.

Note: The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) is the Managing Authority for Ireland’s EU Just Transition Fund programme and further information on all funding available under this programme is available here. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) is the sponsoring Department for the Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme. Pobal is responsible for the administration of the Scheme on behalf of DECC as sponsoring Department and EMRA as Managing Authority.

Local community organisations and small to medium sized enterprises are integral to the creation of employment opportunities and supporting those that may be negatively affected by the transition to a low carbon economy.

This grant scheme is an opportunity to implement projects that can contribute to meeting local needs and priorities identified in the Local Economic and Community Plan or Regional Enterprise Plan for the local authority area within which a project is based.

All applicants must outline in their application how their project contributes to the implementation of the relevant Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) of the local authority area concerned or to the relevant Regional Enterprise Plan (REP). Read more about this alignment in the Application Guidelines document.

MyPobal Portal Registration

All potential applicant organisations must register a Primary Authorised User (PAU) on the MyPobal Portal in order to download and submit the official Application Form and other supporting documents. Please see the videos under ‘Other Useful Resources’ below on how to register a PAU and the MyPobal User Registration Guide.

Please ensure that your organisation has the PAU registration completed by 2 February 2024 at the latest as it takes 1-2 working days for PAU approval and an approved PAU is required to submit an application. PAU Registration is mandatory for new users. Existing or previous users can use their login details on MyPobal Portal to access the documents.

Please review the next two tabs, for further detail on the application process, events information and FAQs.

Resources and Guidance for Applying

The Resources at the foot of this page are provided to give further information and guidance on applying for funding under this scheme.

Before starting your application, please consult the following documents:

Application Templates and Guidelines

• Application Guidelines
• PAU Registration Guidelines/MyPobal Portal Navigation Guide
• Application Form (sample, only applications submitted through the MyPobal Portal will be considered)
• Budget template (please upload this on MyPobal after completion)
• De Minimis Declaration (please upload this on MyPobal after completion)
• Results Framework Template (please upload this on MyPobal after completion)
• VAT Not Recoverable Template

Other Useful Resources:

• Preparing to apply for funding resource
• Writing an application
• A Guide for Inclusive Community Engagement in Local Planning and Decision Making
• MyPobal Registration Guide
• Primary Authorised User Process

Pobal Online Support

Applicants who have additional queries that are not covered in the Application Guidelines or in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website should contact Pobal for further clarification using the contact details noted below:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01 511 7222