The allocation of €40 million for this year’s Sports Capital Programme has been welcomed by Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, David Stanton. The programme will be open for applications from Friday 7 September until Friday 19 October, 2018.
“The Sports Capital Programme is the main source of Government funding for the development of sports infrastructure. I would encourage all clubs and organisations who are seeking to improve their facilities or purchase new equipment to ensure that they are registered at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie”, said Minister Stanton.
“Applications for the programme can only be made online which is why prior registration is essential. The programme will open for applications at 9am on Friday 7th September and will remain open until 5pm on Friday 19th October, 2018. I would, however, recommend that any clubs or organisations interested in applying for funding begin preparing the paperwork as soon as possible.
“I am also pleased to see that further improvements have been made to the application process and terms and conditions of the programme this year following a review of the 2017 round of funding. The aim is to minimise the number of invalid applications by making the process as simple and user-friendly as possible. I would urge all applicants to consult the guides available on the website.
“The Government recently launched our new National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 which confirms our commitment to investing in sports facilities in the years ahead, via the Sports Capital Programme and other initiatives. In addition to clubs and organisations, the Sports Capital Programme is also open to schools as long as any application is in conjunction with a sports club. Priority is given to applications that promote the sharing of sports facilities with the wider community and to projects in disadvantaged areas.
“The Sports Capital Programme represents excellent value for money as investment in sports and physical activity is good for the health of our communities. Clubs in the Cork East area have been very successful in securing Sports Capital funding in the past, having received a total of €2.634 million in the four funding rounds since Fine Gael reinstated the programme in 2012