Cork County Council launches ‘Local Festival Fund’ Grant Scheme

A group of people holding a sign

Cork County Council is inviting applications for funding under the Cork County Local Festival Fund 2023, a competitive grant scheme to support the development of festivals that drive domestic tourism in Cork County and help to improve the visitor experience.

A total of €65,000 is available through the Local Festival Fund in 2023 and applicants can apply for funding up to a maximum of €6,000 per festival. 75% of funding under the grant scheme is provided by Fáilte Ireland, with Cork County Council providing match funding of 25%.

Your festival may be eligible for funding under the Local Festival Fund, if:
•    It is held within the boundaries of Cork County
•    It attracts domestic visitors and improves the visitor experience
•    It generates a minimum of 250 visitor bed-nights in paid accommodation
•    The festival has a minimum expenditure of €7,500
•    The festival demonstrates a commitment to sustainable best practices

Welcoming the opening of the scheme, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins said,

I am delighted to announce that the Cork County Local Festival Fund 2023 is now open and will enable the hosting of some of Cork’s best and most unique festivals in the months ahead. Not only are festivals an important part of our cultural identity, but they are also significant economic drivers. As well as entertaining and bringing local communities together, local festivals have the potential to attract thousands of visitors to experience all that Cork County has to offer.

Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals at Fáilte Ireland, said, “Festivals and events play a key role in delivering brilliant visitor experiences, providing a unique reason for visitors to choose a destination and increasing footfall for local businesses, supporting jobs and revenue generation. Domestic tourism will be hugely important again this year as we work towards recovery. Managed by Cork County Council, the Local Festival Fund will support festivals that drive domestic demand and enhance the visitor experience across Cork County.”

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added,

Formerly known as the ‘Fáilte Ireland Regional Festival Fund’, Cork County Council took over management of the Local Festival Fund in 2018, allocating a total of €285,000 between 2018-2022 in support of local festivals and events. Cork County Council has this year placed an increased emphasis in the Local Festival Fund application process for festivals that demonstrate the capability of implementing festival greening measures, consciously reducing their impact on the environment. This means that festivals will have to demonstrate a minimum level of commitment to sustainable best practices. Cork County Council is delivering a series of support measures to assist festivals in reaching this goal.

Online applications close on Thursday 19th January at 5.00pm. For further details contact local.festivalfund@corkcoco.ie