2025 Festivals Investment Scheme (Ireland)

Purpose 

The Arts Council will achieve the objectives of the Festivals Investment Scheme by supporting project proposals that:

• Express an overarching artistic vision that resonates with the nature of the proposed activities and demonstrates artistic excellence
• Show evidence of a commitment to the Arts Council’s artform priorities relevant to the programme proposed
• Demonstrates sound and effective festival and financial management, a track record of excellence, and delivery to a high standard, ensuring the project proposed is feasible.

Funding Information

• The maximum amount that may be awarded to a successful applicant under Band A is: €10,000
• The maximum amount that may be awarded to a successful applicant under Band B is: €25,000
• The maximum amount that may be awarded to a successful applicant under Band C is: €45,000

Priorities of the Scheme 

Priority will be given to proposals that:

• Demonstrate public engagement by:
  • Evidence of audience-development strategies that provide opportunities for the public to attend arts events and/or to participate in arts activities
  • Providing opportunities for the public to collaborate with artists
• Demonstrate festival priorities by:
  • Producing evidence of a high level of integration with local resources and supports from a diverse range of partners
  • Demonstrating a commitment to collaboration with organisations that support and strengthen the festival’s work
• Demonstrate equality, diversity and inclusion priorities by:
  • Showing how equality, diversity and inclusion are included in the organisation’s working practices.

Note: In a festival context they recognise public engagement as: audience members, readers, listeners, attendees or other consumers, volunteers, participants or public collaborators. The Festivals Investment Scheme will take account of the regional and local spread of arts activity, and may prioritise festivals taking place in areas where relatively little arts activity currently occurs over those that are already served by arts activity, including the work of other organisations in receipt of Arts Council funding.

Low Priorities 

The following activities are considered low priorities for funding consideration:

• Proposals that are an ongoing-event series (e.g. a quarterly or monthly music or literature programme)
• Programmes primarily focused on the delivery of workshops series, summer schools, ongoing classes or one-off individual events, etc.
• Conventions where the primary beneficiary is not the public
• Trade fairs or conference programmes

Who can apply?

• Round 1 is open to organisations resident in the Republic of Ireland promoting festivals with a clear artistic purpose and which commence between 1 January–30 June 2025.
• An organisation may make only one application under the Festivals Investment Scheme in a year (i.e. one application in one band per calendar year).
• For applicants to Band B:
  • Organisations must has been established for a minimum of three years and executed three consecutive festival programmes for the festival project.
• For applicants to Band C:
  • Organisations must has been established for a minimum of five years and executed five consecutive festival programmes for the festival project.

Who cannot apply? 

Organisations that are not eligible to apply under the scheme include the following:

• Individuals
• Organisations whose proposed activities would be better suited to another Arts Council funding scheme
• Commercial organisations that share out profits to members
• Organisations/festivals based abroad; however, applicants based in the Republic of Ireland may collaborate with an organisation based abroad
• Organisations where the dominant element of the programme is competitive in nature
• Organisations in receipt of Strategic Funding, Partnership Funding or Arts Centre Funding.

For more information, visit The Arts Council.