OUR FUNDING PROCESS.

Background

An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge invites applications through an open-call procedure from interested Irish language community groups seeking to advance capital applications for the ultimate development of sustainable capital projects that will enhance the delivery of services to the Irish language sector and assist in the creation, development and support of Irish language communities.

Grants will be capped at 50% of the Project costs or £250,000 per applicant (to include all costs).

applications Considered

An Ciste will only consider applications from voluntary and community sector organisations, with an Irish language constitution, charitable status (or with charitable status pending) and with a proven track record of promoting the Irish language.
Examples of capital projects that must fulfill a need or opportunity and must be delivered through the medium of Irish include:

⦁ Arts & Cultural projects.
⦁ Irish language Family Centres.
⦁ Cultúrlann facilities
⦁ Community development projects.

An Ciste can only fund Project Capital Costs and cannot fund any project operational or running costs. Priority will be given to capital projects that can demonstrate long-term viability and that can attract capital and operational funds from a range of other sources.

Projects must demonstrate

⦁ Partnership and co-operation: – with other Irish language groups/bodies at local, regional and national level.
⦁ Cultural Development: – the promotion of the Irish language and its cultural and social advancement.
⦁ Inclusiveness: – the promotion of equality of opportunity.
⦁ Leverage: – the ability to maximise other fund-raising potential and capital funding from other agencies.
⦁ Complementarity: – ensure that proposals will not duplicate, substitute or displace existing provision in a particular geographical locality.
⦁ Sustainability: – be associated with long term activities and initiatives that contribute to social and economic sustainability, including job creation.

An Ciste recognises that not all projects will be economically viable from project incomes alone and some will require fundraising from other sources.  If this is the case applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the capability of raising the required operational costs to make their project sustainable in the long term. 

what we can fund

⦁ Site purchase costs (providing funding package is in place to develop)
⦁ Construction costs for new build
⦁ Refurbishment costs
⦁ Pre-construction costs which may include eg. Professional & design team fees.
⦁ Associated non retrospective professional costs will be considered as part of the over application.

We will not fund items of equipment that are not directly linked to refurbishment / construction costs.

Applicants are encouraged to explore and demonstrate how they have investigated all possible sources of other funding for their particular project. In this way the funds available through An Ciste can be maximised to lever out other important funding into the Irish-language sector.

Applicants should make contact with An Ciste in advance to discuss other potential sources of funding for their project ideas in advance of the submission of a full application.
An Ciste will solely consider applications from Irish language voluntary and community sector organisations with a proven track record of promoting the Irish language.

INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

An Ciste will not fund projects that it considers to be a statutory responsibility of local or central government.

Ineligible applicants include;

⦁ Private Businesses
⦁ Educational Institutions
⦁ Schools
⦁ Individuals
⦁ Groups without a governing document PRIMARILY promoting the Irish language and proven long standing track record of same.

* An Ciste will not consider Third party applicants or consortia lead applications.

INELIGIBLE PROJECTS

⦁ Projects that create economic displacement
⦁ Capital projects where the Irish Language is not central to the ethos of the organisation and the use of the building.
⦁ Retrospective funding
⦁ Retail & Commercial (except as part of income generating initiatives associated with regeneration scheme)
⦁ Private dwellings
⦁ Projects with negative environmental impacts
⦁ Stand-alone Youth Clubs and Youth Facilities funded by EA
⦁ Projects which are PRIMARILY of a Heritage or conservation nature.
⦁ Projects which are PRIMARILY the remit of the Department of Education and /or Health and Social Services and/or other Irish Language Funding Organisations

Ciste may contact Government Departments and other funding bodies to discuss the validity of submitted applications.

An Ciste would like to make their decision making process as transparent as possible and has set a range of criteria against which each project will be assessed. This will assist applicants to address a specific criterion within their application form.

As a pre-requisite, all applications must clearly demonstrate there is a need/opportunity and support for the project in a definitive area 

Decision making will be based on An Ciste’s assessment of the following criteria. The weighting applied to each of these criteria in assessing the overall project is also shown:

  • Quality of the Language Promotion Outputs of the project and the numbers of Irish speakers/ learners benefiting – 30% of total score.
  • Sustainability of the project in the long-term including the number and quality of sustainable jobs created for Irish Speakers – 30% of total score
  • Cost effectiveness associated with securing leverage/additional balance funding from other sources for the project– 15% of total score.
  • Deliverability and quality of management of the project (including marketing and risk management etc.) 15% of total score
  • Level of co-operation with individuals, businesses and other organisations within the Irish-language sector 10% of total score.

How TO APPLY

Applicants must submit an initial expression of interest form in advance of preparing a full application. Upon submission of an expression of interest form, an employee of An Ciste will contact you to discuss the project and provide advice and assistance in relation to the completion of the full application form. Direct lobbying of board members of An Ciste is not permitted.

Expression of interest forms, full application forms for proposals and guidelines can be downloaded below:

Download Guidelines (English)
Download Guidelines (Gaelige)
Download Expression of Interest Form
Download Full Application Form

In relation to assessing the application, the decision of the board is final.

Completed Application Forms should be delivered to:

An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge,
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin,
37 Mórshráid Shéamais,
Doire,
BT48 7DF.

* Applications will, where possible, be assessed within a three-month period provided all information is submitted.

gaGaeilge