The 2015 round of the Sports Capital Programme for important sports capital projects has been launched by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring TD.
The programme allocates €40m of funding to sports infrastructure around the country and applications from clubs can be made online at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. Interested clubs who are not already registered should ensure that they are registered on the online system before 5pm on Friday, 10 April 2015 are advised to do so without delay, before the full submission deadline on April 24.
Grants are available to sports clubs, voluntary and community groups, national governing bodies of sport and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and schools may only apply for funding jointly with sports clubs. GAA Handball encourages all Handball clubs who require funding for various developments to avail of this opportunity and start the planning process immediately to ensure a strong application is made.
Examples of what is eligible for funding include:
- Hurling walls / handball alleys
- Building or refurbishment of dressing rooms, showers and toilets
- Building or refurbishment of sports halls and gyms
- Non-personal sports equipment including lawn mowers and defibrillators.
- Any other capital projects that are clearly sporting in nature and that will increase participation in sport or improve performance (see definition above)
Minister Ring said, “The provision of an additional €40 million under this new round is key to facilitating participation in sport among local communities. With 90% of grantees telling us that the facilities we have funded helped them increase the numbers involved in sport, the value of the programme can be in no doubt.”
Click here for full information and guidance documents
GAA Handball would be happy to providing supporting documents to any handball club who wishes to apply for the funding. If required, please email development.handball@gaa.ie with a brief on what your funding will be used for, and some details on the club itself.
Common Pitfalls:
Every year several hundred applications are ruled invalid because they do not meet the terms and conditions set out in this guide. Below are some of the most common pitfalls that you should avoid:
1. Title/Access to your land – title/access templates (appendix 5 and 6 of this guide) not provided, not signed, not dated or not fully completed
2. Planning Permission – template not provided, not completed or not signed (appendix 3)
3. Own Funding – loan offer or bank statements not provided or provided without the applicant’s name
4. Wrong documents uploaded – or the same document uploaded multiple times
5. Application not started on time – organisations that do not start their application early run the risk of encountering technical or other difficulties that cannot be resolved before the deadline.