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CSFF 2026 : New round calendar announced – Increased thresholds – New pilot Tier for LAs and NGBs
Oct 2, 2026
New round calendar announced
I ncreased thresholds
New pilot Tier for LAs and NGBs
The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the key timetable dates for the 2026 new round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF).
A new grant management system, SPRAOI, went live on Monday 28 September. Clubs and organisations not previously registered with the Department can now register on SPRAOI. Approximately 8,000 clubs and organisations that were registered on the previous grant system have been transferred to the new SPRAOI system. The window for funding applications will run from Monday 19 October 2026 to Friday 26 February 2027.
Minister O’Donovan said: “I want people of all ages and abilities to have access to good sporting facilities in their own communities, where they can get active, develop their talents and enjoy sport.
“This new round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund increases the maximum grants for local and regional projects and introduces a new €750,000 funding tier for larger, shared facilities.
“The new tier will encourage Local Authorities and National Governing Bodies to work together on facilities that support several sports and serve the wider community. My priority is to ensure this investment gives more people the opportunity to take part in sport, now and for generations to come.”
Minister McConalogue: “Every week, thousands of volunteers across Ireland give their time and energy to keeping our sporting organisations running. The Community Sport Facilities Fund is about supporting that commitment by helping those organisations provide the facilities and equipment their communities need. I am pleased that we are increasing the maximum grants available while also making a number of practical changes to the application requirements. Participation and inclusion remain central to this programme. We want facilities that are accessible to women and men and projects that demonstrate a genuine commitment to sport for all. I would encourage every eligible organisation to familiarise themselves with the information available on the new programme and use the coming months to prepare a strong application. ”
An Information Guide, setting out key terms and conditions, is now available online at gov.ie/SportsCapital（https://eur05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fr.email.brevo.mediahq.com%2Ftr%2Fcl%2F6ow_9oPJAzvSu4lprHL87DVCL8xeWrfajFxv5hwpbjqP6ThaOmgskmQ9-t5zVCSn6UxzvRgnkljVM8od_vB5eboCDASchzOcxiE0U515ANSYBH2ac9SIJYxgMjm7ioE51O9MO872aYkcVE10a3Y5lmpHMsFz11sIdTe1U3vWslUg1bbUMqEXTcH79Cgt5PdoBVGt2_L_qrJJeH6OmJb2XN91ALkQKyQNaWfPI-oqNLhmZhRSoSN1V6rAcU-qJhnyMQi2kLLWgfyYri_DF8EQ4s2D1bGj9vSgWHC6-xBFavQ&data=05%7C02%7Cclarelouise.odonoghue%40irishsport.ie%7Cc2174c49f209497b074008df20603cac%7Cb3c011bbba3c4a328843e1a80bd18b78%7C0%7C0%7C639265269899869461%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Kbye7OUYrLlq7PwkXSSzEw3LupKzmqk0AxTE40qRmHc%3D&reserved=0）
Key details of the new round, including a number of innovations, are as follows:
Local projects: maximum grant increased from €200,000 to €250,000 and greater collaboration with schools is encouraged
Regional Tier 1 (former “regional” projects) maximum grant increased from €500,000 to €550,000
New Regional Tier 2, for larger, multi-sport projects introduced with maximum grant level of €750,000, targeted at Local Authorities and Governing Bodies
Minimum lease term reduced from 15 to 10 years, mandatory requirement to have registered lease is removed
Administrative simplifications introduced to enable more organisations to qualify for the Fund
The CSFF is the Government’s primary vehicle for providing support to sports clubs and communities to develop sports infrastructure around the country. Taking account of feedback from the sports ecosystem, a new 3 rd Tier that can provide up to €750,000 in funding to larger projects, with a maximum grant rate of 70%, is being introduced and the 3-tier system is explained below.
Local grants
Applicants can now apply for up to €250,000, increased from the previous maximum grant of €200,000. This is the primary heading under which most local clubs and organisations will apply to the CSFF.
As with the most recent round in 2023, projects will only be considered for grant support if access is guaranteed to men and women on equal terms. Additionally, sporting organisations will be required to demonstrate delivery commitment to the “sport for all” ethos.
To simplify the process for school applications in collaboration with sports clubs, the requirement for a formal lease will be dropped in place of a minimum 10-year license sharing agreement. Such leases must spell out strong guarantees of facility-sharing between the club and school (e.g.