My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a National Governing Body (NGB) of Sport or a local authority.
Capital grant limits for CSFF are based on the applicant project's security of tenure. Under the 2023 round, funding of up to €200,000 was available to organisations that either owned their land or held a lease registered with Tailte Éireann with at least 15 years remaining. For organisations without a registered chargeable title, capital funding was restricted to a maximum of €70,000.
If an organisation does not own the land in question, or have a long lease, the CSFF provides that the land owner, if entitled to apply for CSFF funding in its own right, can make an application on behalf of the sports user. This approach can often be seen in the case of sports clubs or organisations located on local authority lands.
In line with previous rounds of the CSFF, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be finalised shortly.
I have asked my Department to prepare for a 2026 round of the CSFF in the coming months. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
The Department is currently collating feedback from sporting clubs and organisations. This feedback is proving very valuable for the Department to better understand the experiences, needs and challenges faced by clubs and other organisations. This feedback, along with the review of the 2023 round, will inform our preparations for the next round. The new guidelines will be published in advance of the next round and will include details on the thresholds that will apply for local, regional and equipment-only applications and the match funding requirements.
My aim is to have as many eligible sporting bodies as possible applying, by simplifying the application process and guidelines and carrying out a wide-reaching communications campaign. All clubs and organisations registered with the Department's grant management system will be automatically notified when the next round of the CSFF is opened.
