Record Number of Applications for Sports Capital & Equipment Programme 2020

From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media 

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, T.D, and the Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, T.D., today announced details of the applications received under the latest round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP). The SCEP is the Government’s primary vehicle for providing support to sports clubs and communities to develop sports infrastructure around the country. The deadline for applications was 5pm on 1st March. 3,106 applications were received with a total of over €200m sought by all applicants.

Minister Martin stated: “This is the highest

number of applications ever received which shows the continued importance and popularity of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. I want to thank all of the volunteers throughout the country who submitted applications on behalf of their clubs and communities. It has been a tough year for many sports clubs but the level of interest shows that clubs are determined to have improved facilities for their members when we emerge from the current Covid crisis.”

The Minister of State with responsibility for Sport, Jack Chambers, highlighted the diversity of applications received: “I am delighted with the response to the call for proposals. Applications have been received from towns and villages right across the country with over 60 different sports applying. The sports covered range from all the main field sports to martial arts, rowing, volleyball and wheelchair sports. The level of demand will make the allocation process challenging but we will shortly publish our scoring system and assessment manual which will ensure that funding is allocated in a fully transparent and fair manner. The new Programme will again prioritise applications from disadvantaged areas, applications which will increase participation including female participation and disabled users and those which share facilities with other users and the wider community. I hope that the first set of allocations will be announced during the summer with all allocations made before the end of the year.”

Details of all applications received on a county basis have been published on the Department’s website here.