CWP seeking applications for LEADER funding for projects supporting new and developing festivals in Wicklow

Wicklow Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) are calling for Wicklow festivals to apply to a total fund of €100,000 in LEADER funding which is being made available to festivals and events running in 2025/26.

This targeted call is aimed to encourage new festivals in county Wicklow. Applications from existing festivals are welcome, but only where they are developing new elements to their festival.

Launching the call for festival applications, LCDC Chairperson Cllr Melanie Corrigan said “festivals are a really great way of encouraging tourists to Wicklow and engaging people with their local communities. We would like to invite new and existing festival groups in County Wicklow to come forward to apply for funding”.

County Wicklow Partnership (CWP) is the organisation animating the LEADER programme on behalf of Wicklow LCDC.

CWP LEADER Development Officer Evelyn Murray stated, “We really see the positive impact rural festivals have on their communities so we are delighted to encourage new festivals in particular to come forward to help develop their event to have even greater impact”.

This call is targeting festivals scheduled to run between June 2025 and June 2026.

This targeted call for applications is a two stage process:

Stage One

Opening of Call – October 2nd 2024

Deadline for Submission of EOI – October 22nd

Inform outcome of stage one – November 1st

Stage Two

Deadline for submission of complete application – December 13th

Evaluation and Decision on applications – Spring 2025

Timeframe for festival activity – June 2025 to June 2026

CWP are asking interested festivals to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to County Wicklow Partnership before October 22nd, 2024 and EOI’s are to be submitted via email only to dhealy@wicklowpartnership.ie

Download the EOI form here

This call for festival applications is specifically looking for projects of the following type:

Applications will be accepted from community based applicants only
Applications for sporting and fundraising events will not be considered
Applications will be for between €2,000 and €20,000 and can support equipment purchase or rental and marketing costs.
No element costing less than €1,000 can be included in the application
Entertainment costs will not be eligible under this call
Environmental sustainability is a key strategic ambition of the LEADER programme and elements such as printed promotional material or waste disposal services will not be considered as part of any application.
Additional scores for projects are awarded to those applications who demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability within their festival activity
Applications are being encouraged from new festivals in the county. Existing festivals may apply but they need to demonstrate a new element or feature in their festival programming.

For information on the LEADER programme and how to complete a LEADER application, please see our LEADER application handbook here.

LEADER application handbook FINAL

Wicklow’s LEADER programme is guided by the LEADER Local Development Strategy (LDS) and all LEADER applications are assessed against the ambitions in this document.

Please see a summary document of Wicklow’s LDS here for your information.

LDS summary FINAL