Covid-19 Community related Funding

14/04/2020

COVID-19 Response Fund

The Community Foundation for Ireland’s Covid-19 Community Fund is aimed at the immediate needs of organisations impacted by Covid-19 and focused on the following:

• People over 60
• People with respiratory illnesses or cancer
• People experiencing domestic abuse
• Isolated vulnerable people and families, particularly those living in rural areas
• Mental health issues for those affected by Covid- 19

It is the expectation that the funding will support organisations to continue to provide services over the next one to six months and help in adapting services and methods of delivery.

Applications can be made to continue or adapt existing work or to pilot new work that will support those most vulnerable as a result of Covid-19.

Any organisations affected by Covid-19 and working with the groups of people listed above can apply for grants between €1,000 and €10,000. The Community Foundation for Ireland anticipates that organisations that are providing small scale emergency support will require funding of around €1,000 to €2,500.  Those who are significantly enhancing their services at this time may require grants of up to €10,000.

We will only accept applications from organisations with income levels of €500,000 or less per annum. Please see the FAQs for more information.

All projects must be in line with government advice and guidelines about Coronavirus.

The Fund is open from 9am, 7 April 2020 and will remain open on a rolling call basis.  At the present time there is a total of €250,000 available for organisations in this grant round.

Full details here.

€70,000 COVID-19 Response Fund for Connemara, Co. Galway

SSE Renewables and Greencoat Renewables, joint owners of Galway Wind Park, have launched a €70,000 COVID-19 response fund to support local communities located within 10km of the facility.

The funding, which is being made immediately available, will support community groups that are currently mobilising a rapid response to support those most-in-need as a direct result of the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to supporting rapid response initiatives that are currently being mobilised, funding will also be available for projects that will help rebuild our community in the months ahead.

The COVID-19 response funding is being released early from the overall Galway Wind Park annual Community Fund to ensure emergency funds are made available now when they are needed most.

Full details available here.

Age Action and Irish Red Cross COVID-19 Hardship Fund

Age Action has launched a COVID-19 Hardship Fund in conjunction with the Irish Red Cross to respond to the immediate needs of older people in vulnerable situations across Ireland experiencing additional hardship as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis.   

Age Action and the Irish Red Cross has raised funds to provide additional assistance to older and vulnerable people around Ireland who are experiencing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by making once-off grants, up to a maximum of €500, per person/household affected.

Who Can Apply: Older people in need of assistance, family members supporting an older person and carers of older people, social workers and local voluntary organisations or community groups providing direct assistance to individuals within this target group.

Full details here.

Web Summit is donating €1,000,000 to ChangeX

Web Summit, which employs 210 people in their Dublin HQ, is donating €1 million to the Covid-19 fight. This money will be donated to ChangeX, who will then identify, fund and spread projects aimed at strengthening Ireland’s response to Covid-19. This funding will be allocated exclusively to Covid-19 projects.

Specific details have not yet been provided, but COVID-19-specific project submissions are already been accepted on the ChangeX website.

Submit your idea here.

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a new social welfare payment for employees and self-employed people who are unemployed or who have their hours of work reduced during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This includes people who have been put on part-time or casual work.

Full details here.

See also: Details of Temporary COVID-19 Income Support Scheme.

Neighbourly Community Fund

With the support of their partner businesses, M&S, Lidl, Aldi, Danone and Coca-Cola European Partners, Neighbourly are launching a series of micro-grants of up to £400, to support good causes that are helping communities affected by the new Coronavirus outbreak. Grants will be awarded to existing members of Neighbourly in UK and Ireland whose work will involve supporting members of the community suffering economically, socially or from ill health as a result of the outbreak. This may include, but not be limited to, elderly people, those on low incomes and people at risk of food insecurity.

Grants are unrestricted and can go towards food provision, emergency supplies, practical support, running costs, transport and other essentials.

Full details here.

COVID-19 Rapid Response - Research & Innovation Fund

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Enterprise Ireland (EI), and IDA Ireland have launched a joint rapid-response call to fund research, development, and innovation (RD&I) activities that will deliver significant and timely impact for Ireland within the context of the current emergency. This call will be closely co-ordinated with the rapid response call launched by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Irish Research Council (IRC).

Under this call, any Research Performing Organisation (RPO); a client company of one of the following government agencies Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Údaras Na Gaeltachta or Local Enterprise Office (LEO); or any combination of the preceding may submit a proposal for support of a solution to a significant specific problem associated with the COVID-19 crisis in Ireland. The involvement of relevant Government Departments and/or other public sector bodies in the development of applications and the delivery of the solution is strongly encouraged. Any solution supported under this call must be operational and fully deployed within 6 months of project start.

Full details available here.

Business Continuity Voucher

The new Business Continuity Voucher, available through Local Enterprise Offices, is designed for businesses across every sector that employ up to 50 people.

The voucher is worth up to €2,500 in third party consultancy costs and can be used by companies and sole traders to develop short-term and long-term strategies to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The goal is to help companies make informed decisions about what immediate measures and remedial actions should be taken, to protect staff and sales. If your application is successful, a qualified expert will be selected by your Local Enterprise Office to work with you on your business continuity plans. The value of this service is up to a maximum of €2,500.

Learn more here.

Guinness €1.5 Million Fund

Guinness has announced it will set up a €1.5 million fund to help support bar staff and the elderly in light of the Coronavirus public health crisis. 

€1.2 million of the funding will be provided to bar staff unable to work following the shutdown of pubs / bars nationwide. The remaining €300,000 will be used to support elderly people during the unprecedented health crisis, in partnership with Alone.

No specific funding details have been announced, but further details available here.

The Civic Theatre Artist Emergency Fund

The Civic Theatre has established a fund to provide financial relief to Irish artists experiencing lost income related to COVID-19. Small grants of up to €500 will be paid rapidly on a first-come, first-served basis to affected artists and groups.

Note: the fund has now closed (19 March) due to overwhelming demand, but expects to reopen at a later date. 

Learn more here.