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FAQs

  • 1. Who is the scheme for?

  • The Scheme has been specifically developed to support Tourism Festivals and Events based in the Republic of Ireland.

  • 2. Which festivals can apply for this scheme?

  • The following festivals can apply once they meet the eligibility criteria:

    • Business Category A: Tourism Festivals
    A themed programme of individual events that represents the destination, culture, and heritage, running over a minimum of 2 consecutive days. A tourism festival can create a substantial economic boost for the region, increasing both dwell time and spend in the destination.
    • Business Category B: Participative Tourism Festivals
    Organised events with a minimum of two consecutive days that bring people together for the primary purpose of participating in or supporting participants in a recreational outdoor activity. For example, Trail Running, Swimming Festival.

  • 3. Who should I contact for general queries on this Scheme?

  • Please direct all queries to the Fáilte Ireland Customer Support Team by emailing customersupport@failteireland.ie

  • 4. When will the Scheme be open for Expressions of Interest?

  • The scheme opened for Expression of Interest on 24th March 2024 at 12 noon and closes at 12 noon on the 7th of April.

  • 5. What is the closing date for Applications to the Fund?

  • If your EOI has been successful you will be invited to apply for investment funding under the scheme. Applications open on April 8th and the closing date for the submission of applications is 12 noon, 6th May 2025.

  • 6. If my festival previously received a Fáilte Ireland Grant, are they eligible to apply?

  • Yes, festivals in receipt of a grant in the past may be eligible, should they meet the full eligibility criteria set out in the Scheme Guidelines.

  • 7. If my festival currently receives funding from another scheme, is it eligible for this scheme?

  • No, festivals cannot receive festival funding from two Fáilte Ireland festival funding schemes.

  • 8. How do I apply?

    • All applicants will be required to have a profile on Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Trade Portal’ which is accessible on www.failteireland.ie. If you do not already have an account, you will be required to create one.

    • Those that already have a Trade Portal account, the Expression of Interest form can also be found under ‘Funding’. Should the form not be available please contact customersupport@failteireland.ie

    • All applicants will be required to submit an expression of interest before the 7th of April.

    • If the applicant's expression of interest meets the criteria, they will be invited to apply for the scheme.

    • Only eligible applicants will qualify for this Scheme.

    • The application form must be completed on the Trade Portal, and all required supporting documentation attached to the form.

    • The Guidelines, Terms and Conditions and Application Form will be available on the Festivals and Events page of FáilteIreland.ie

    • Applicants should note that granting access to the application form does not confirm final eligibility of an applicant. Depending on the information provided in the application form, an applicant may still be deemed ineligible for funding later in the process.

  • 9. What are the eligibility criteria for the scheme?

    • Festival category:
    Applicants must satisfy the conditions of one of the below categories of tourism festivals that have been identified as eligible for support under the Scheme.

    They are also required to supply evidence as part of your Stage 2 application form.
    • Category A: Tourism festival
    • Category B: Participative tourism festival
    • Dedicated festival website and digital channels
    Applicants must demonstrate that they have a dedicated website and digital channels for their festival.
    • Number of years currently in operation
    Must have been in operation for a minimum of three years consecutively from 1st January 2022 to 24th March 2025.
    • Duration of programme
    Must have a minimum of two consecutive days festival programming.
    • Company registration
    Must be a registered company or charitable organisation.
    • Turnover/Revenue
    Revenue is defined as the income generated by the Festival or Event from commercial activities and will include festival ticket income, sponsorship and other income streams. Turnover includes revenue but also payments and grants made in relation to the delivery of the festival including public funds from other state bodies and agencies.

    Successful applicants must present income and expenditure accounts or Profit and Loss Accounts, or Management Accounts, for the previous 3 years of the festival and proof of a minimum revenue of €15,000 in the previous year of the festival.

  • 10. What specific purpose will the funding be allocated towards?

  • Funding will be awarded under the following three eligible funding areas:

    1. Tourism focussed International and domestic Sales & Marketing Activity
    2. Festival Programme Extension
    3. Festival Programme Development.
    *1 is obligatory, festivals may select a combination of 2 and/or 3.

  • 11. What are the primary objectives of the scheme?

    • Drive increased domestic and international tourism numbers.

    • Motivate domestic and international visitors ‘to visit now’.

    • Increase both, spend and dwell time in the local area.

    • Drive regionality in areas with capacity.

    • Animation of our Regions by making them more attractive and compelling places to visit.

    • Support seasonality in tourism areas with capacity.

    • Demonstrate a commitment to driving climate action through a sustainable development plan. (Development Plan template will be supplied at application stage).

    • Demonstrate a commitment to provide an accessible and inclusive experience to all in the delivery of the festival (Accessibility Plan template will be supplied at application stage).

  • 12. How long will the funding scheme last?

  • This is a 3-year multiannual scheme, funding amounts may vary over the duration of the scheme.

  • 13. Can I submit an application if my festival is not based in the Republic of Ireland?

  • Only festivals based in the Republic of Ireland can apply for funding.

  • 14. Do I still qualify for the grant if my Festival was not operation in 2024?

  • Festivals must be in operation for a minimum of three years consecutively from 1st January 2022 to 24th March 2025.

  • 15. I operate from more than one festival; how do I apply?

  • Applications are to be made per festival who meet the eligibility criteria.

  • 16. What do I need to apply?

  • Stage 2 Application form checklist:


    Income and expenditure accounts for 2022-2024

    Most recent Income & Expenditure accounts, Profit & Loss Accounts or Management Accounts for the previous 3 years of the festival (1st January 2022- 24th March 2025).
    These do not need to have been prepared by an accountant; however, please ensure that they are as accurate as possible as this Scheme will be subject to future audits.
    Accounts need to identify the following revenue lines:

    • Financial breakdown of all festival income streams
    • A breakdown of the Turnover and the total value of grants from public bodies or other sources of public funding received.
    If the Management Accounts for the festival do not clearly identify all of these (relevant) revenues, the applicant business must submit a signed letter from their Accountant confirming each of the individual revenue lines.

    Number of years currently in operation

    Evidence that the festival must have been in operation for a minimum of three years from 1st January 2022 to 24th March 2025 (inclusive).
    Evidence can include:
    • Festival programme material for three years
    • Social media posts from three years
    • Festival reviews
    • Online media coverage
    Duration of programme
    Evidence that the festival programme is at least two consecutive days.

    Company registration
    Must provide evidence of Tax Reference Number (TRN), or Companies Registration Office number (CRO) as appropriate.

    Festival attendance figures
    Must provide attendance numbers for last 3 years of operation Must illustrate the number of ticketed and non-ticketed attendees and the method used to calculate non-ticketed attendance. Must provide an estimated percentage of local, domestic, and international festival attendees for last 3 years of operation.

    Resources
    Must provide a management team overview which illustrates the number of fulltime and temporary staff employed including their roles and responsibilities.

    Governance
    • Organisers must provide evidence of Governance in the organisation and compliance with all statutory requirements including but not Limited to taxation and employment. In the case of participative events, organisers must include a health and safety plan. Proof at letter of offer stage will be required to show that the relevant checks are in place to deliver these requirements.

    Stage 2 Supporting Documents checklist.

    The following supporting documents will be required as part of your Stage 2 application form
    • Outline of Marketing and sales plan for 2026*
    • Festival Sustainability development plan 2026*
    • Festival Accessibility development plan*
    • Draft Community Festival Engagement plan 2026*
    • Draft of your 2025 festival programme, including all ticketed events.
    *Templates will be made available with the Stage 2 Application form.

  • 17. Is turnover relating to the business financial year or the calendar year?

  • This relates to the calendar year, January to December 2025.

  • 18. What if my financial year doesn’t run from January – December?

  • If your financial statements cover a period other than January – December 2025, please indicate on your application form the turnover relating to the January – December 2025 period only, and upload the financial statements you have which cover 2024 i.e. if your financial year runs from June 2024 to May 2025, then you will need to provide the financial statements for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 so that we can see the full 2024 calendar year. You might also be required to provide management accounts for the calendar year January to December as part of the evaluation of your eligible tourism turnover for that year. If further financial information is required during the assessment, the evaluation team will be in contact with you.

  • 19. How much funding will my festival be awarded?

  • This is a competitive multi annual funding Scheme.

    The funding amounts awarded to each festival will be reviewed and evaluated annually and investment grant amounts confirmed in advance of the following years festival.
    Festival funding awarded over the three years may vary.

    A festival can apply for investment grant funding from €20k up to a maximum of €200k per annum subject to compliance with the permitted percentage funding under Art 53 of General Block Exemption Regulation for state aid.

  • 20. How is the funding awarded under EU State Aid and how will it affect my grant?

  • Fáilte Ireland is the grant-aiding Authority for this Scheme. The legal basis of the Scheme is Section 8 (1) (e) of the National Tourism Development Authority Act, 2003. Investment grants are provided in accordance with the criteria set out in these Guidelines, subject to EU State aid law. State aid rules apply to this Scheme and determine what types of projects are eligible and what support can be provided by Fáilte Ireland. This Scheme is operating under the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) rules.

    General Block Exemption Regulations (GBER) is an EU measure that provides exemptions from the State aid rules in certain situations. Fáilte Ireland has identified the exemptions that are relevant to project proposals under this Scheme as follows:

    Aid for culture and heritage conservation (Article 53 of the GBER) This is the primary exemption for this Scheme and in addition to being eligible and meeting the Heritage and Culture Criteria set out in Article 53 , all projects will have to meet the requirements of this exemption. Therefore, the subject of an application must be a bona fides culture or heritage conservation project.

    Applicants should also be mindful of the rules on cumulation, also referred to as ‘double-funding’. Those rules are set out in Article 8 of the GBER and concern situations in which aid of different types may be combined. As part of the applications process, applicants will be required to advise at an early stage the basis for other funding for the same project. To fall within the GBER, its provisions must be complied with in all cases and in all respects in so far as they apply to State aid for a particular project.

    While Fáilte Ireland has a primary responsibility to comply with those requirements and other State aid rules, compliance also depends on the co- operation of applicants, including their adherence to these guidelines, their candour in making applications to us and ultimately, their compliance with the Investment Grant Agreement, including the requirements under GBER.

    Applicants should ensure that they seek their own independent, professional advice regarding State Aid and procurement matters in particular. Fáilte Ireland may call on applicants to provide clarity or confirmation (including by means of professional opinion) in respect of any State Aid related query in relation to the project or the wider funding context. That may include provision of information as to any other forms of public funding or assistance obtained, or in the course of being sought, or that is likely to be applied for.

  • 21. My organisation runs several festivals. Am I limited to one EOI/application?

  • You can submit multiple EOIs/applications with the same organisation involved if they are for different festivals.