Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund
The Fund
The Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund has been established by EirGrid to recognise the important role of local communities who are hosting this grid infrastructure and to acknowledge the temporary disruption which may be caused within proximity of the cable line during the construction phase of the project.
The fund has a total value of €2.4 million which is released in three phases: when construction begins, mid-way through the project, and when the project is energised.
The overall aim is to increase public and environmental wellbeing in the community and to leave a positive legacy in the communities hosting this grid infrastructure.
Latest news
In recognition of the important role communities play in facilitating grid infrastructure for the Celtic Interconnector project in east Cork, Phase 2 of the Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund opens on 15 January 2025.
Applications are now being welcomed, with €841,013 in funding available to eligible communities and voluntary groups in Phase 2.
Funding of €240,000 will be available for community projects, €240,000 for sustainability projects and €361,013 for biodiversity projects, with a €121,013 underspend carried over from the first phase of the fund under the biodiversity stream.
To ensure decisions on how the funds are distributed are made in a transparent, participatory, and inclusive manner, a fund support and administration service is again being operated by SECAD Partnership CLG, based in east Cork.
The deadline for applications is 14 March 2025.
Your privacy settings
In order to allow the use of multimedia content on this website you must accept the use of miscellaneous cookies.
29 groups receive funding in Phase 1
Phase 1 of the fund opened for applications on 29 June 2023 and closed on 15 September 2023.
In December 2023, the successful applicants of Phase 1 of funding were announced.
There were a high number of applicants, and the majority were successful, with 29 in total receiving funding.
Independent fund administrator SECAD Partnership CLG contacted the successful applicants.
Successful projects were located throughout the project area, featuring a broad range of activities from sports to arts, to youth services and older age organisations.
This first phase of funding covered our three activity streams, with €320,000 allocated through the community stream and €320,000 via the sustainability stream. A total of €198,987 was allocated for projects as part of the biodiversity stream, with the remaining €120,000 unallocated due to a shortfall of biodiversity projects.
As per the guidelines, this money has been carried over and allocated in the next funding round to support impactful community-based biodiversity project applications.