10. Funding and Support Options

To develop projects, the community should consider investigating options for interest finance loans and grants for energy upgrades and renewable energy projects. 

For finance options, Clann Credo who run a Community Loan Finance Scheme. The Community Loan Finance Scheme is aimed at community and voluntary groups, charities, social enterprises and amateur sports club with affordable rates and repayments not available from traditional lenders. Credit unions and banks can provide Green Loans at a lower interest rate than traditional borrowing. 

A full list of other grants available for each sector is listed below.

10.1 Residential – Home Grants

Individual SEAI Energy Grants:

Table 8: Individual SEAI Grant values

SEAI One Stop Shop Grants:

Table 9: SEAI One Stop Shop Grant values

Warmer Homes Scheme: SEAI’s Warmer Homes Scheme provides free energy-efficient home upgrades for homeowners that receive certain welfare payments.

This SEAI scheme offers upgrades for the following:

• Attic insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• External wall insulation
• Internal wall insulation
• Replacement windows
• Heating upgrade
• Heating controls
• Ventilation
• Draught proofing
• Lagging jacket*
• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)

To qualify for an SEAI grant via the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, you need to own and occupy a home that was built before 2006 and that has not previously received an upgrade under this SEAI scheme.

You must also receive one of the following allowances:

• Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme.
• Job Seekers Allowance for over six months and have a child under seven years old.
• Working Family Payment
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Carers Allowance and live with the person you care for

Homes that have previously received improvements under the scheme are eligible. 

10.1.1 Commercial / SME

Communities Energy Grant: Commercial / SMEs can receive funding of up to 30% of capital costs for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.  

Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) supports SMEs registered in Ireland with an annual energy spend of at least €10,000. The audit will review electricity, gas, oil, diesel, and any other energy sources used at their facility. It will also look at the company fleet, if applicable.

SEAI will provide the business with a €2,000 (ex. VAT) voucher towards the cost of an energy audit. This should cover the full cost of the audit for the majority of SMEs. The business then ‘pay’ the auditor with the voucher once the audit is complete. The auditor will claim the cost of the voucher from SEAI.

https://www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/small-and-medium-business/supports/energy-audits/

SEAI Electric Vehicle grant: The grant is up to €3,800 for a vehicle of €18,000 or more. There is also a grant of €600 towards the purchase and installation of a home charger unit.

https://www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/ev-for-business/grants-and-supports/

10.1.2 Transport – Electric Vehicles 

SEAI Electric Vehicle grant: The level of grant depends on the purchase cost but is €5,000 for a private electrical car of €20,000 or more. 

This scheme provides a maximum grant value of €5,000 for purchasing qualifying electric vehicles (EVs) that are destined for private use. The vehicles must be Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) or Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).

The grant value depends on the list price of the vehicle. EVs with a list price less than €14,000 are not eligible for a grant. The table below shows the corresponding grant values for different vehicle list prices.

Table 10: Corresponding grant values for different vehicle list prices

When purchasing your new electric vehicle, the car dealer will apply for this EV grant for you. The amount will then be deducted from the total price of your new EV. Note that SEAI grants are not available for second-hand EVs.

With the EV Home Charger grant, you can get up to €600 towards a new home charger unit. To qualify, you must own an eligible new or second-hand EV. The EV charger must be connected to your home’s fuse board, and your home’s MPRN will be used to confirm this location. You must park the EV in an off-street location.

You must have purchased the EV (new or second hand) from 1 January 2018 to qualify for the grant. You are not eligible if you have received a previous EV charger grant at the same property. Once you receive your “Letter of Offer,” you must wait until the official start date to commence any work. Otherwise, you will be deemed ineligible for grant support.

Other benefits: EVs receive VRT relief and a reduced motor tax of €120. Revenue also allows for Benefit in Kind exemption for company electrical cars.

SEAI Public Charger grant: Delivered through the County Council, this grant provides up to €5,000 towards the cost of an on-street charger, or 75% of the cost. Whichever is lower.

Table 11: Corresponding grant values for different EV chargers

10.1.3 Community & Public Sector  

Communities Energy Grant: Community and voluntary organisations can receive funding of 30% of capital costs for energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes through this scheme. This figure could rise to 50% following SEAI approval. Public sector projects can receive funding of up to 30% of capital costs.  Works must be paid in full, and the grant is refunded by SEAI. No works should commence until grant has been confirmed by SEAI after the application has been submitted. This usually occurs around April each year. 

An energy audit is required for all grant applications to SEAI. This Energy Audit includes all relevant information requested at application stage.

The grant amounts for communities varies form 30% – 50% grant available for energy works to community buildings and is subject to SEAI approval prior to application stage. 

Leader Rural Development Programme: Community groups promoting community enterprises, local amenity projects and community services can receive up to 75% of capital costs for projects from the local rural development company. 

The LEADER Programme accepts applications based on projects which improve:

• rural tourism
• enterprise development
• broadband
• basic services targeted at hard-to-reach communities
• rural youth
• protection and sustainable use of water resources
• local biodiversity
• renewable energy

The programme is administered at a local level by 29 local action groups. These contain local representatives from the community, public and private sector.

An initial allocation of €20 million is being made available for the delivery of the Transitional LEADER Programme. The formal programme is due to open in 2023.

Town and Village renewal: The Scheme is targeted at towns and villages with a population of 10,000 or less and all projects funded under the Scheme must be completed within a 12 to 18 month period.

This fund will open later this year. A list of the measures supported in the last call are listed below.

Measures that will be supported by the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme include:

• Tackling dereliction in town centres
• Turning vacant properties into remote working and multi-use community spaces
• Investing in town centre living
• Investing in amenities to make town centre living more attractive
• Upgrading and improving shop fronts and streetscapes on Main Streets
• Projects that support and enhance the night-time economy and add vibrancy to town centres

For the 2021 Scheme, the minimum grant available was €20,000. The maximum level of grant funding available is being raised to €500,000 in respect of one application from each Local Authority. A maximum of €250,000 will apply in respect of two applications and €100,000 in respect of four applications.  Two applications must be in respect of Towns/Villages that have not previously received funding under the Standard Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Rural regeneration and development fund: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a commitment of €1 billion by government to be invested in rural Ireland over the period 2019 to 2027. The Fund is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The purpose of the fund is to support job creation in rural areas, address de-population of rural communities and support improvements in our towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. Initial funding of €315 million has been allocated to the fund on a phased basis over the period 2019 to 2022.

Proposals are being invited from Local Authorities, and other locally/regionally based organisations, such as Local Development Companies, as well as government departments and State agencies. For the purpose of accountability and oversight, the lead partner of all projects must be a State funded body, but collaboration with the private sector is encouraged.

Proposals may be made in respect of towns with populations of 10,000 or fewer and their outlying areas. A limited number of specified towns with a population of 10,000 or fewer will be eligible for support under the Urban Regeneration Fund which is being operated by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government; however, funding will only be provided under one fund for any particular project. 

Outdoor recreation infrastructure grant: Established in 2016, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure. This scheme helps to make use of the resources of the countryside that contribute to healthy active lifestyles. It supports the economic and tourism potential of the area for both local communities and tourist visitors alike.

The aim of this scheme is to fund:

• Development, extensions and repair of trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways
• Improved access to leisure or recreational facilities
• Development of outdoor recreational infrastructure

Applications are accepted from local authorities and/or state agencies under the following measures:

• Measure 1: small-scale maintenance/promotional and marketing projects to include grant aid amounts of up to €20,000
• Measure 2: medium-scale repair/upgrade and new trail/amenity development grant amounts of up to €200,000
• Measure 3: large-scale repair/upgrade and new strategic trail development grant amounts of over €200,000 and up to €500,000

Community enhancement program: The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provides capital funding to community groups across Ireland. This allows these groups to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas.

The 2020 CEP was funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and provided €7 million of grant funding towards enhancing the facilities available to communities. The Programme has a focus on supporting groups in disadvantaged areas. Typical enhancements under the CEP include:

• IT and CCTV equipment
• Minor improvements to buildings
• Minor renovation of community centres
• Development of community amenities
• Purchase of equipment for community usage.
• Improvements to town parks, common areas and energy-saving projects

The CEP is administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area. 

Community environmental action fund: The Community Environment Action Fund promotes sustainable development by supporting small-scale environmental projects at local level. Communities and local groups work with local authorities to take action across areas like waste, biodiversity, climate change, air and water.

Local authorities co-fund successful projects with this department. Funding can also come from other sources, like the private sector, in order to make the projects more successful.

Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS): Some renewable energy technologies lend themselves particularly well to a cooperative model of ownership and operation. These include anaerobic digesters, biomass, wind farm, geothermal and district heating. In Ireland, the concept of community involvement is underutilized to date. The Minister has developed the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) for Ireland. The RESS aims to promote the generation of electricity from renewable sources. The new scheme is framed within the context of the Climate Action Plan and the European Union’s Clean Energy Package (EU Clean Energy Package), in particular the Renewable Energy Directive and the development of Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan. The RESS is consistent with the EU Clean Energy Package and the EU Guidelines on State Aid for Environmental Protection and Energy 2014- 2020. The RESS will rely on competitive forces to achieve renewable energy ambitions at the lowest feasible cost to electricity customers while delivering technology diversity and significant community participation.