Climate Innovation Fund 2024
Community, voluntary groups and organisations in County Kildare can use this form to apply for a grant in a partnership with Kildare County Council from this fund.
The Climate Innovation Fund is open to community groups, small/medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, tradespeople, early-career researchers, education institutions and individual citizens active in Kildare. The aim of this fund is to foster innovative climate solutions in the county of Kildare.
Applications will open on May 27th 2024, with total funding of €125,000 divided evenly between the five Municipal Districts, namely: Athy, Celbridge-Leixlip, Clane-Maynooth, Kildare-Newbridge and Naas with €25,000 available in each. To note, this grant is being funded through the Local Property Tax and because of this, the fund is restricted to individuals and groups that live or work in these Municipal Districts.
For assistance call 045 980563 or email climateactionoffice@kildarecoco.ie
This application will be processed by Kildare County Council. Please contact your
Community Climate Action Officer, Dara Wyer at dwyer@kildarecoco.ie before completing the form for advice on project suitability. Please watch this short video
here on how to complete the form.
There are eight sections on the application form:
- Tell us about your group or organisation - provide information about your organisation, including where it is located, where it operates, and what it was set up to do.
- How is your organisation run - help us to understand what kind of organisation or business you are, how it is run, and how decisions are made.
- Who will be your point of contact with Kildare County Council for this application - who should we talk to about your application?
- Your project – details on your proposal. Your organisation should discuss this with your Community Climate Office (Dara Wyer at dwyer@kildarecoco.ie)
- Authorisation & Statutory Consent
- Declaration - signing the application to show that your organisation has presented true and correct information in the form and that it agrees to follow the terms and conditions of this funding, if it is awarded to your group.
Please ensure that you are fully familiar with the terms and conditions set out below before you begin filling in this form. We can only assess forms that have been fully completed. Incomplete forms will not be considered for funding. Please contact our Community Climate Action Officer, Dara Wyer at dwyer@kildarecoco.ie.ie or by phone 045 980563 if you need advice on completing the form.
Terms and Conditions
- Funding per project must total between €5,000 minimum and €25,000 maximum.
- Kildare County Council will only provide funds for eligible costs to groups/organisations that are directly involved in approved projects at a community level, aimed at innovative climate solutions.
- You must demonstrate that you do not have the funding available to undertake the work without grant aid, or alternatively that the grant will enable you to undertake more work which your group/organisation would otherwise not be able to afford.
- The information supplied by the applicant group/organisation must be accurate and complete.
- Misinformation may lead to disqualification and/or the repayment of any grant made.
- All information provided in respect of the application for a grant will be held electronically. Kildare County Council reserve the right to publish a list of all grants awarded on its website with the name of the community group and county supplied.
- The Freedom of Information Act applies to all records held by Kildare County Council.
- The application must be signed by the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer or responsible person of the group/organisation making the submission.
- It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that it has proper procedures and policies in place including appropriate insurance where relevant.
- Applications will only be accepted on this form.
- Evidence of expenditure, receipts /invoices must be retained and provided to Kildare County Council or their representative to support payment of funds.
- Photographic evidence of the project may also be required to facilitate draw down of grants.
- Kildare County Council may carry out unannounced site visits to verify compliance with grant terms and conditions.
- The Climate Innovation Fund contributions must be publicly acknowledged in all materials associated with the purpose of the grant.
- No third party or intermediary applications will be considered.
- It is essential that you reply to the signature verification email which will issue once your form has been submitted as your application will not be processed otherwise (please check all mailboxes as it may go to you junk/spam/promotions folders).
- Breaches of the terms and conditions of this programme may result in sanctions including return of funds already granted and disbarment from future grant applications.
- In order to process your application it will be necessary for Kildare County Council to collect personal data from you. Such information will be processed in line with Kildare County Council’s privacy statement which is available to view here
- A grant agreement will be put in place between successful applicants and Kildare County Council
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants meeting the requirements listed below are eligible to apply:
- Community Groups
- Small/Medium Enterprises
- Entrepreneurs
- Creative Practitioners
- Tradespeople
- Early-career researchers
- Education institutions
- Individual citizens active in Kildare
Furthermore:
• The project applied for must be in line with the aim/purpose of the funding as set out in the section on projects eligible for funding below.
• Only one application per organisation may be submitted for consideration.
Eligible Costs:
- Materials
- Communications
- Software
- Equipment
- Education Materials
- Some human resource associated costs
Please note a maximum of 50% of funding may be allocated to cover human resource costs such as staffing needs. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Ineligible Costs:
The Climate Innovation Fund will NOT fund the following:
- Projects that solely benefit an individual
- Equipment that is not directly associated with the project
- Overheads, operating, travel, transport, subsistence, notional, legal, insurance or banking, loan costs etc.
- Activities that do not meet the purpose of the grant
- Applications from individuals aged under 18 years of age, or individuals in second level education
- Applications for activities that are completed or have already commenced
- Activities better suited to others awards and/or schemes offered by the county council
- Teaching / staffing
- Equipment that is not directly associated with the project
- Overheads, ongoing running costs
- Insurance
- Accommodation, travel and subsistence
- Redundancy costs
- Penalties / interest / bank interest / charges
- Loan repayments
- Retrospective costs i.e., expenditure which has taken place prior to approval date of the project
- Costs for which more appropriate funding opportunities already exist are ineligible, where it is clear that Climate Innovation Fund is a substitute for other public funding which is currently available
- Notional costs e.g. the room hire with the applicant’s own premises
- Legal Fees