Page last updated on: 2 May, 2025
This grant booklet summarises the key elements of Kilkenny County Council and other National Community Grants. It informs community groups of funding streams available to carry out and complete various types of community activities and projects in their neighbourhoods.
The special Health & Wellbeing Draw opens for nominations from Monday, 28th April, running for just seven days until Monday 4th May 2025.
This special draw is dedicated to supporting charities in Ireland and the UK whose core purpose is the advancement of Health & Wellbeing. With 10 awards of €5,000 each up for grabs, the more nominations a charity receives, the greater its chances of winning.
Nominations take less than a minute to complete and can be submitted at https://health.movementforgood.com/.
The annual Community Safety Fund allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be directed into local projects to support and enhance community safety.
This year, €4 million is available, which is double the original allocation of €2 million when the fund first opened for applications in 2022, and grants range from €20,000 to €150,000.
The Community Safety Fund will be managed by the newly established National Office for Community Safety within the Department of Justice.
CLOSING DATE: Friday 16th May 2025
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2025 Scheme will prioritise tackling town centre regeneration, town centre/village centre plaza development, develop green spaces, enhance streetscapes, farmers/artisan markets, provision of infrastructure (public realm works, service provisions, canopies), Upgrade and refurbish community centres, bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use as multi-purpose community spaces.
If you wish to submit an expression of interest or have any queries in relation to the Town & Village Renewal Scheme please contact the Community Department. The following are the contact details for each Municipal District.
- Callan/Thomastown Municipal District – Contact Catherine Byrne Murphy, 056-7794115
- Castlecomer Municipal District – Contact Katherine Peacock, 056-7794924
- Piltown Municipal District – Contact Lianne Kelly, 056-7794345
CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: Friday 16th May 2025
The Hi Digital Fund is aimed at addressing the digital skills gap among Ireland’s ageing population.
Rethink Ireland are inviting applications from projects and organisations that innovatively work to empower Ireland’s older adults to enhance their digital literacy, as well as improve social inclusion and quality of life through the use of technology, to ensure that no one is left behind as we transition to a more digital society.
This €540,000 two-year fund is created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation, SmartSimple, private donors and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.
Want more information?
Join one of their application clinics on Wednesday 30th April and Tuesday 13th May. These one-hour webinars will provide information on fund eligibility and the application process and offer an opportunity to answer any questions you have. Register for an application clinic here:
- Wednesday 30th April at 10am – Register here
- Tuesday 13th May at 3pm – Register here
CLOSING DATE: 23rd May 2025
Kilkenny County Council is offering community groups an opportunity to promote anti- litter and anti-graffiti awareness in their local community.
Eligible Works: Projects that support community groups/organisations to combat litter and graffiti issues in their local community, including:
- Community clean ups on public lands
- Community art projects to combat/deter graffiti
- Environmental awareness litter themed workshops
Grant Amounts ranging from €150 – €1,500
CLOSING DATE: 23rd May 2025
CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd Riachtanais) is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small scale infrastructural projects in areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. CLAR scheme is now open; a minimum grant of €5,000 and a maximum of €65,000 for projects will be available.
Measure 1 is administered through Kilkenny County Council, and can be applied for by Kilkenny County Council in conjunction with groups in Local Communities.
Measure 2 and Measure 3 are being administered through the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Application form and further particulars may be downloaded from the link below or contact Alison McGrath 056-7797967 or Catherine Byrne Murphy 056-7794967
CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 28th May, 2025
Estate Management Grant 2025
Kilkenny County Council are providing funding for Resident & Community Groups in Kilkenny County Council Housing Estates fund projects which promote estate management.
To qualify for assistance under the Estate Management Grant Scheme, applications must be submitted on behalf of an established County Council residents association and proposed projects/activities must be deemed to promote the interests of estate management in the community.
Examples: Equipment purchase & equipment maintenance, clearing of Derelict sites within Estates, Planting, Landscaping, Equipment purchase.
Average grant amounts range from €600 – €700
CLOSING DATE: 30th May 2025
For more details, please contact the Kilkenny County Council Housing Department by email at or by phone at 056-7794900
The Irish Hospice Foundation are offering a small number of scholarships up to the value of €3,000 each to make education in end-of-life and bereavement care accessible to multiple disciplines (nursing, medicine, allied health professionals and others). Two scholarships will be reserved for those working in palliative care.
CLOSING DATE: 31st May 2025
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s 2025-26 Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme is now open and accepting applications. The purpose of the grants scheme is to support projects by civil society and trade unions that promote human rights and equality. A total of €350,000 is available for projects.
The Grants Scheme is open to civil society organisations working to promote human rights and equality and trade unions in Ireland. Civil society organisations include: local and national community and voluntary organisations, non-governmental organisations, rights-holder-led groups, groups representing area based communities or communities of interest protected under the nine grounds of the Equality legislation, well as groups experiencing poverty, socio-economic discrimination or exclusion, including international protection applicants and migrant communities.
To be eligible, civil society organisations must be not-for-profit and registered with the Company Registration Office (CRO) and/or as a Charity.
CLOSING DATE: 4th June 2025
St. Canice’s Credit Union is excited to announce that they have a fund of €150,000 available to support qualifying community groups and organisations in their common bond area. This funding is open to organisations in the areas surrounding our branches in High St. Kilkenny, Bagenalstown, Callan, Piltown, Graiguenamanagh, Ballyragget, Durrow, Mountrath, and Rathdowney.
If you have any questions you can contact them by email
CLOSING DATE: 30th June 2025
The SEAI Community Grant supports energy efficiency community projects through capital funding, partnerships, and technical support.
Through the support of SEAI, communities are improving the energy efficiency of shared community buildings and businesses are becoming more competitive through reduced energy costs. In addition, homes are being upgraded making them more comfortable and helping alleviate the effects of energy poverty.
This SEAI Community Grant is managed by Project Co-ordinators. If you are a local community service operator and you are interested in applying for the Community Grant, it is advised that you get in touch with a project coordinator.