The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have today announced the launch of the 2023 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. The announcement was made by Minister Thomas Byrne, Minister for Sport and Physical Education. For the first time since the introduction of the programme, funding allocated under this programme will be available for renovations and improvement for publicly available swimming pools. Grants will be available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, NGBs, and local authorities. Ireland Active welcomes theses inclusions to the Sports Capital programme which are as a result of advocacy work on behalf of the sector.
Commenting on the announcement, Ireland Active CEO Karl Dunne said:
“Ireland Active welcomes the announcement today of the latest round of Sports Capital Funding and in particular the inclusion of swimming pools. This funding is crucial for the much-needed investment required to upgrade swimming pools with more energy efficient equipment to ensure lower energy consumption and continue to drive participation in swimming. I want to thank the ministers and department of sport for working with Ireland Active to include swimming pools on the sports capital programme for the first time ever.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since it was introduced in 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion.
Applications for the 2023 SCEP open at 9am on Monday 17th July until 5pm on Friday 8th September 2023. The deadline for registration is 5pm on Friday 25th August 2023. Applicants are advised to consult the published 2023 Guide to Making an Application which has detailed information on the scheme and the application process. If applicants require further assistance with their application, they are advised to contact SportsCapitalProgrammes@tcagsm.gov.ie.
Ireland Active will be running a webinar in the coming weeks on how to make an application for sports capital funding.
