Community Services Programme

Information

The Community Services Programme aims to support local community activity in Ireland to address disadvantage and provide local employment opportunities for certain groups of people. It provides funding to community services and community businesses including community services for older people and those with disabilities, rural transport initiatives and environmental projects. The Programme is managed for the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs by Pobal, a not-for-profit company that manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.

The Community Services Programme evolved from the Social Economy Programme and provides funding over 300 groups. 

Rules

Types of project

The following types of project can apply for funding include:  

• Community services for the elderly (excluding healthcare provision)
• Community services which support or employ people with disabilities (excluding healthcare provision)
• Projects, which support and employ stabilised and recovering drug misusers (excluding healthcare provision)
• Community services or community enterprises for island communities
• Community radio
• Community enterprises which support or employ Travellers (excluding healthcare provision)
• Supervising community halls and facilities with a priority focus on disadvantaged areas

Qualifying organisations

In order to qualify for funding under the Community Service Programme, organisations must operate on a not-for-profit basis. They must also recruit unemployed people to work in the projects. In general, 70% of employees in projects funded under the Programme must be from one of the following groups:

• Unemployed people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or One-Parent Family Payment
• People in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Blind Person’s Pension or other disability payment
• Travellers in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or One-Parent Family Payment
• Ex-prisoners
• Stabilised and recovering drug misusers

Funding

Organisations may receive funding on a multi-annual basis to include salaries, running costs and actions of the project.

How to apply

Organisations interested in applying for funding should check information about this programme and other programmes managed by Pobal on the main page of its website. You can read further information about the Community Services Programme here.

Where to apply