CLÁR Funding 2026

Open1 Apr, 2026, 12:00 - 7 May, 2026, 15:00

           image_0.png

CLÁR Funding 2026 Project Expression of Interest for Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities

CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small infrastructural projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.

Rate of Aid

A minimum grant of €5,000 and maximum grant of €65,000 will apply to this measure. To facilitate projects of a slightly greater scale, each local authority can submit 2 applications seeking grant funding of up to €100,000. The scheme will provide up to 90% of the cost. The remaining 10% or balance of the cost must be provided through local authority/community/other resources. Philanthropic contributions will be accepted as full or part of match funding costs.

Please note that match funding cannot come from other DRCDG Schemes.

Eligible Projects

Measure 1 will support a variety of capital projects provided that they contribute to the enhancement of existing, and/or the development of new, accessible Community Recreation Facilities.

CLÁR applicants are requested to identify and list in their application the Sustainable Development Goals that are being delivered through their proposed project. This can be up to a maximum of 3 SDGs. Further information on the SDGs can be found by visiting; https://irelandsdg.geohive.ie/

All community amenities funded under this programme must, in so far as practicable, be accessible to all abilities and ages.  Any facility funded must be available to the public without a requirement to be a member of a club, enrolled in a school etc. Facilities on school grounds must be open to the public outside school hours and insurance must be in place for the facility at all times. The list below provides an indication of the types of projects that may be supported, but is not exhaustive: 

  • Small scale renovation works to community facilities open to the wider community such as community centres/sports centres/clubhouses of sporting groups/youth centres/men sheds etc. This includes external works such as parking and accessibility enhancements
  • Multi-Use Gaming Areas (MUGAs)/Astro-Turf facilities including upgrades (see information box below in respect of astro turf upgrades)
  • Playgrounds/Skateboard parks/Pump tracks/Cycling tracks/teenage spaces
  • Walking/Running /Athletics tracks
  • Handball Alleys/Tennis Courts/Basketball Courts/Cricket Grounds/outdoor bowling areas
  • Community Gyms/Community Cinemas
  • Sensory Gardens/Community Gardens/ Allotments/Biodiversity planting
  • Access to unique local heritage sites / areas of natural beauty
  • Enhanced outdoor Toilet and changing facilities
  • Improving access at sports grounds e.g. development/upgrade of spectator stands at local sports grounds with a particular focus on improving access for people of all abilities and ages
  • Toilets/showers in community facilities but not sports team changing rooms or showers
  • Emergency generators. These must be mobile to allow for shared community use. There must be confirmation that the facilities that will use the generator have changeover switches in these facilities in place and the cost of installing these switches in these facilities can be included as part of the generator project application
  • Applications to remediate light pollution (terrestrial and marine) through restorative lighting strategies to protect and/or restore Ireland's dark skies
  • Solar Bins

The application form must clearly outline the need and rationale for the projects put forward.

Ineligible Projects

In the current 2026 scheme, the following projects will not be funded: 

  • Footpaths
  • Bus shelters
  • Works to current school buildings which are not open to the public after school hours ·
  • CCTV
  • The purchase of land or building
TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Funding Conditions for Rural Schemes funded under the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

The requirements outlined below will apply to all funding approved through those schemes. The need for adherence to all of the requirements will be reflected in the contractual agreement between the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the grantee approved for funding under the scheme.

  1. Projects are expected to commence without delay upon approval and be completed in line with the timelines set out in the Scheme Outline.

  2. Any project that has not commenced by the agreed completion date will automatically be de-committed, unless there has been ongoing engagement with the Department and the reasons for the delay have been accepted by the Department.

  3. The Department may de-commit funding allocated to projects under the Scheme where the project is not completed within the time specified, and where the express agreement of the Department to extend the funding arrangement has not been agreed in advance.

  4. Phased Payments: Funding may be drawn down in up to 2 phases. The minimum amount that can be drawn down at any time is 50% of project costs once these have incurred by the LA. Funding drawdown requests (Annex 4 Drawdown Request Form) must be signed by the Director of Services (DOS) or an authorised official who should copy the DOS when submitting a claim.

  5. Projects must be completed in full in order to drawdown the full grant amount. Where it is established that a project has not been completed, the Department may request the grantee to repay any funding received on the project. It is essential that any changes to the project elements, or reallocation of funding between elements, must be advised and agreed with the Department in advance of the change being implemented (Annex 6 – Change of Purpose); the Department will not retrospectively approve changes to projects.

  6. Where changes have been applied to an approved project without Departmental approval, the grant funding may be reduced to reflect the amended project.

  7. Where retention applies the Department will retain a percentage portion of the grant payment, in line with the percentage cost withheld, until the retention period passes. A conditional extension will be granted in these cases. LAs may then drawdown the remaining grant amount once proof can be provided of the final retention amount being paid over.

  8. If the project involves works on buildings or lands that are not in the ownership of the grantee, a minimum 7-year lease/licence must be in place from date of application.

  9. In the case of funding allocated to enterprises or facilities (i.e. community centre, hubs), it is a requirement that they must operate as funded for a minimum of 5 years following release of the final stage of funding, otherwise funding may have to be repaid. Where they do not operate as funded this must be advised and agreed with the Department in advance.

  10. All appropriate financial, public procurement and accounting rules and regulations must be complied with and each grantee will fully account for the funding received in a timely manner.

  11. VAT amount is not to be claimed as a project cost at drawdown if the grant recipient is VAT registered.

  12. All projects may be subject to audit and inspection under standard Departmental processes. Full and accurate documentation to support all expenditure must be maintained in the project file and accessible by Department officials for audit purposes at all times and for a period of five years from the date of completion of the project.

  13. Grantees will acknowledge the support of Project 2040 / Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht/ Government of Ireland, and any other applicable sources of funding (as identified in the relevant Funding Agreement) in all public announcements, advertising and signage, as appropriate, relating to the project. In addition, the Department may seek to use the project in the broader promotion of its policies. Costs for the mandatory signage can be included in the project costings at application stage.

  14. Signage must be in place at all CLÁR funded projects. These signs must be in a prominent location, of durable quality, acknowledge the CLÁR funding and be of sufficient size to be clearly visible to the public. These signs must follow the Department’s 2026 Branding Guidelines. The Official Languages (amendment) Act 2021 must also be adhered to, for example, signs must be in both Irish and English with Irish being displayed first.

  15. Grantees will provide any reports and information relating to the project as may reasonably be requested by the Department from time to time.

  16. On-going monitoring and evaluation of the project outputs and outcomes should take place in the context of assessing the impact of the project. Grantees will be expected to collect appropriate data to facilitate this learning on an on-going basis. On request, a brief report (1-2 pages) on the outputs and outcomes of the project funded should be completed and made available to the Department.

  17. Grantees, will provide a contact point/points to the Department to facilitate payment and information requests. The Department should be updated on any changes to contact personnel in a timely manner.

  18. The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht have the right to launch/open projects supported under the CLÁR Programme. The Department should be notified a minimum of six weeks in advance of the proposed date for such events.

  19. Infrastructure Guidelines – All applications must demonstrate detailed project costings and clear value for money. The complexity of the appraisal requirements and the methods used will depend on the size and nature of the project and should be proportionate to its scale.

  20. All Procurement processes must be in line with EU Public Procurements Requirements (EU Directive 2014/24), national procurement and Mayo county Council guidelines published by the Office of Government Procurement. Any Project with an estimated cost of €50,000 or greater excluding VAT must be advertised on the eTenders platform. Please refer to www.etenters.gov.ie and www.constructionprocurement.gov.ie for more details.

  21. Where an element of the approved project is not carried out as per the project application, grant funding may be reduced to reflect the amended project.

  22. A cash contribution (Match funding) as set out in the Scheme Outline is required. The grantee will be required to submit proof of this funding at time of application and retain a record of the source of the cash contribution.

  23. Photographic proof is required at the following stages of the Project- a. Prior to commencement b. During the works c. Completion of works.

  24. The grant funding for the approved project will be provided from the Department of Rural and Community Development’s and the Gaeltacht capital budget. Professional costs associated with the proposed project, where allowed for in the Scheme Outline, should be kept to a minimum. These costs must be clearly documented in the application.

  25. All expenditure registered through the CLÁR scheme will be subject to the terms of the Public Spending Code.

  26. A checklist confirming compliance with funding conditions relating to the grant aid will be required upon project completion.

Non-Compliance with the conditions as outlined or any additional stipulations agreed during contract negotiations may result in the requirement to refund part or all of the grant aid awarded.

Please see Measure 1 scheme outline for further details. For details on all Clár measures please click here

ALL APPLICATIONS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED TO MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL ONLINE:

by 3pm Thursday 7th May 2026

CLOSING DATE WILL BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO

If you have any queries, please email the Community Section at community@mayococo.ie or call 094 – 906 4660

 

 
 

   

You must login or register to apply.