Regional Festival and Participative Events Programme 2025


APPLICATION FORM

CLOSING DATE for submission of applications is 4pm on Thursday, 30th January, 2025


Clare County Council is pleased to announce that the Regional Festival & Participative Events Funding Support Programme 2025, funded under Failte Ireland, is open for applications.


The supported eligible events must help to drive domestic and international tourism arrivals to Clare, win bednights, stimulate local economic activity, and help to improve the visitor experience in the county.


Please note that further below, you can also upload any supporting documentation should you wish to e.g. word documents, presentations, photos etc

CLOSING DATE for submission of online applications 4pm on Thursday, 30th January, 2025

Links to Festival and Event Fund Guidelines & Privacy Policy


It is important to read the Regional Festival and Participative Events Fund Guidelines 2025. The Guidelines PDF document can be downloaded here.


You can download and read our privacy notice here


Festival/Event Details

(If different to the name of the festival/event)

Please advise. If established, please advise of the event's history, e.g. when established, when last held, attendance levels and economic impact of past events on the area.


Festival and Participative Event / Description

Your Festival and Participative Events Category*

Please describe your event in detail. If you wish you can also upload any supporting documents or presentations further below.

Please advise of any programme highlights meriting special mention that will add to the appeal of the event and help to attract in extra visitors.

Outline how the event programme will help to attract domestic and international visitors to County Clare – and provide a memorable visitor experience.


Festival and Event Marketing

Please advise of your target audience (local, domestic, international)

Note: non-local attendees are considered to be domestic visitors living beyond 65km/40 mile of Clare or visitors from overseas.

The funding programme is to support Festivals and Events that ATTRACT visitors to Clare - beyond catering for visitors who happen to be in the area. The event must aim to generate a minimum of 300 visitor bednights in paid accommodation staying within 50km of the festival/event. With this in mind, please advise of your marketing plan with specific reference to achieving the bednight targets - noting you can upload any supporting documents further below.

Please advise of your online presence, noting that it is a requirement, and a condition of support, that your Festival and Event has an online presence with UP-TO-DATE information on the event for visitors e.g. a website or Facebook profile.


The Festival/event must have an online presence on www.VisitClare.ie.


If you have an established social media presence - please advise of reach, e.g. number of followers.

Please provide details of the organisation structure and of the experience and abilities of the festival/event to deliver a successful event (e.g. the experience of the committee, board, and full time and part-time, and voluntary staff).

Please explain how your event collaborates with the local community and other organisations/partners/networks to maximise the local and visitor potential of the festival/event.

Please outline your Waste Management Plan - the actions the Festival/Event will take to minimise the impact on the environment e.g. preventing waste, reduction in energy & water use, and minimising/eliminating single-use items that are only used once and then disposed of e.g. single-use plastic and compostable items such as coffee/tea cups, drink receptacles, containers, pizza boxes, plates, knives, forks,etc.


Financial Details and Funding Requested

Please provide BOTH a total of the anticipated expenditure and a full breakdown of anticipated expenditures related to this proposal under headings such as (for example)

  • marketing costs
  • programme and event production costs
  • development costs etc.

Please provide BOTH a total of the projected income for the festival/event and a full breakdown of all projected sources of income under headings such as:

  • Ticket sales
  • Sponsorship (please specify the source)
  • Grant Support from other sources e.g Arts Grants or Local Development Grants, etc (specifying sources)
  • Fundraising
  • Borrowings etc.

Any Supporting Material?

If there are any supporting material you wish to provide e.g. documents, presentations, images, etc - you can upload them here.

Drag and drop files here or

Qualifying Conditions

  • The project must have a minimum expenditure of €10,000.
  • The Festival or Participative Event should help to attract domestic and international visitor arrivals to County Clare.
  • The Festival/Event must have an online presence on www.VisitClare.ie
  • The festival/events must generate a minimum of 300 visitor bed nights in paid accommodation.
  • The festival or event must take place during 2025.
  • The Festival & Events Programme must include high-quality content and design.
  • The event must have appropriate insurance cover.
  • Be fully compliant with current regulations and requirements for holding such an event.
  • The Festival/Event will take into account the actions needed to minimise the impact on the Environment (e.g. minimising / eliminating single-use materials etc).



INELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION

The following categories of festival and participative events are NOT eligible under this funding arrangement:

  • Events with minimal tourism appeal. Appeal is indicated by their ability to attract visitors to Clare as a destination, rather than be something extra for visitors to experience when already in Clare.
  • Purely commercial events with limited tourism appeal.
  • Agricultural shows and countryside fairs with limited tourism appeal.
  • Spectator-based sporting events.
  • Circuses and carnivals.
  • Christmas fairs, markets and parades.
  • Event that are being funded directly by Failte Ireland.


Your Contact Details

Your contact details are only required for office use and to enable us to contact you in relation to this festival/event application.

As the person authorised to complete this application on behalf of the Festival and Event and agree to the terms and conditions on behalf of the festival and event. You are also the person with whom any communication regarding this application will be addressed.

e.g. Manager, Committee Member, PRO, etc

We will communicate with you by email in relation to any application under this programme. However, if you would prefer that we communicate with you by post, please provide the name and full postal address, including the Eircode, that any letter is to issue to.

REMINDER:: CLOSING DATE for submission of online applications is 4pm on Thursday, 30th January, 2025