Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
In line with previous rounds of the Fund, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be published 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 which is valuable input to our ongoing preparations for the next round. New guidelines will be published in advance of the next round opening. These will give information on the maximum grant thresholds for local projects, regional projects and equipment-only applications. My aim is to have as many eligible sporting bodies as possible applying, by simplifying the application process and guide and carrying out a wide-reaching communications campaign.
In 2022, my Department identified the need to replace the existing Sports Capital Programme grant management systems ('OSCAR'). The Department approved Pobal, a state-sponsored agency, as the preferred provider to design and develop the new system. A departmental project team has been working with a Pobal project team to design the new system. It is anticipated that the new grant management system will facilitate the next CSFF round later this year.
