Commercial Tourism and Regional Festivals & Events Open Call
| Fund | Commercial, Tourism & Regional Festivals Open Call |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Annually via Open Call |
| Application Open | 5th January |
| Advertised | Print / Grants Portal & Online Sligo Live Invest Visit |
| Application Close | 23rd January |
| Award | 2nd March (subject to adoption at Council Meeting) |
| Application Process | Online via Sligo County Council’s Grant Portal |
| Grant Threshold | Maximum award €5,000 (Subject to Funding each year) |
| Administrated by | Tourism Unit |
| Contact | aquinn@sligococo.ie |
About the fund:
This is a combined Regional Festival & Event Fund with funding streams from Fáilte Ireland’s Regional Festival and Participative Event Funding scheme and Sligo County Council’s contribution to support Commercial/Tourism/Regional Festivals. The scheme supports commercially driven, typically at a medium to large scale, that deliver clear tourism, economic, and community benefits.
Applicants must disclose all other sources of funding secured or anticipated for their festival or event. This information will be considered during the evaluation process. Preference may be given to organisations that have not received significant funding from other sources. It should also be noted that the purpose of this scheme is to support Commercial and Tourism related festivals and priority will be given to same.
The scheme recognises that festivals play a vital role in:
- Attracting visitors and enhancing the tourism profile of the region.
- Strengthening community identity and pride.
- Supporting local businesses and the wider economy.
- Animating towns and villages by creating vibrancy, activity, and memorable experiences.
This scheme also supports Sligo’s tourism objectives, which are to:
- Grow sustainable tourism by leveraging the county’s natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and outdoor activity assets.
- Attract and retain visitors.
- High-quality experiences.
- Ensure that tourism supports communities, regional growth, and sustainable development across the northern Wild Atlantic Way.
- Festival / Events span over 2 days will be looked on favourably
Eligibility:
- Contribute significantly to the tourism and economic development of Sligo.
- Animate towns, villages, and communities.
- Align clearly with the objectives of the County Development and Economic Development Plan (DEDP).
Ineligibility:
The following categories of festival and participative events are ineligible under this funding arrangement:
- Agricultural shows and countryside fairs with limited tourism appeal.
- Spectator-based sporting events.
- Circuses and carnivals.
- Christmas fairs, markets and parades.