The Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme supports and develops engagement with the arts, culture, and creativity by individuals and communities. It aims to promote sustainable cultural tourism for the benefit of the domestic and foreign visitor. The scheme supports small local cultural festivals and summer schools that do not receive other funding from
- Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media, and
- are not funded by Fáilte Ireland or;
- The Arts Council.
The maximum amount of funding per applicant is €5,000.
The Cultural Schemes and Initiatives Unit runs the Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer School Scheme. You can contact us by email at
f&ss@tcagsm.gov.ie . The assessment of applications is
- on a competitive basis, and
- assessment committee’s decision is final.
We will ask for confirmation that the Local Authority was notified at least one month before the event if an application is successful.
Please note that payment for this scheme is retrospective. Successful applicants have their eligible expenses reimbursed after the event. This means that the project must be completed by the deadline 27th September 2024. Payment is made on receipt of paid invoices accompanied by proof of payment in the form of bank statements. The Department cannot reimburse cash payments.
Guidance on Applications:
Applications must
- Outline the aim, purpose, and end result of the project, explaining how the project will encourage cultural activity and engage people with arts, culture and creativity;
- Show that project is realistic in terms of scale, cost, amount of funding requested, and timeline;
- Show that the project is achievable by providing supporting evidence;
- Provide a detailed budget of the project as a whole;
- Provide details of funding already in place;
- Provide details of funding from any other public body if this is in place;
- Have all the required regulatory/official approvals;
- Provide proof of a valid tax reference number for the not-for-profit organisation (tax reference numbers under the name of an individual will not be accepted);
- Provide copies of event insurance;
- Provide evidence that the organisation has signed up to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour https://www.safetocreate.ie/
- Provide details of initiatives in relation to Climate action; the Irish language; or Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Confirm that all details provided in the form are true and accurate;
What will not be funded
The list below shows what will not be funded. Please read this carefully. This list is not definitive and the assessment committee reserve the right to refuse any application.
1. Capital projects (e.g. equipment, musical instruments, plaques, statues)
2. Sports days and sporting events
3. Family Fun Day events (Crafts and Crafting, Bouncy Castles, Clowns and Face Painting)
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
Marking Scheme
The assessment of applications is
- on a competitive basis,
- and assessment committee’s decision is final.
Applications are marked based on the following:
The project should meet the objectives of the scheme included below: (further information is available
here)
- Does the project support and develop engagement with the arts, culture, and creativity for individuals and communities?
- Does the project encourage cultural tourism for the benefit of the domestic and foreign visitor?
- Does the project include initiatives in relation to Climate Action; the Irish Language; or Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?
- Is the project realistic in terms of scale, costs, assistance sought and timeframe for delivery?
- Has the application demonstrated capacity to deliver the project?
- Is the level of own funding or supporting contribution (non-state) towards the project along with the requested grant amount sufficient to cover total costs?
Contact point
If you have questions or need technical assistance, you can email us at F&SS@tcagsm.gov.ie .
Appeals Process
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. You must 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 Friday 26th April.
Any funds allocated must be drawn down in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme no later than 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 submitted their complete drawdown requests before the deadline.
Freedom of Information Act
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.
Privacy Statement
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:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/023ba-data-protection/
Please note an official announcement with approved allocations will be published on the Department’s website.
Please also note that this document may be updated from time to time.