Find answers to common questions about the Shared Island Fund scheme, including eligibility, funding, guidelines, toolkit resources and contact details.
Get answers to common questions about the Shared Island scheme.
The Shared Island Tourism Brand Collaboration Project is a partnership between Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, and Tourism Ireland, supported through the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund. It brings together the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route to strengthen the visitor journey across the island, develop standout tourism experiences, and support sustainable growth in regional tourism.
This scheme provided capital funding to enhance visitor experiences at existing attractions along the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route. Its goal was to help visitors experience both routes more easily, while supporting stronger storytelling, improved interpretation, and more connected tourism experiences across the island.
The scheme supported projects that improved interpretive visitor experiences at established attractions. This included enhanced storytelling and interpretation, immersive and engaging visitor experiences, product innovation and the development of new experiences, multi-language provision for international visitors, and measures to encourage longer visits, increase visitor spend, and extend tourism across seasons and regions.
The scheme was open to public, private, and community organisations operating established visitor attractions in eligible areas across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Applications followed two stages. Stage 1 was an Expression of Interest, used to assess whether the applicant and proposed project met the scheme criteria. Applicants who passed Stage 1 were invited to Stage 2, where they submitted a full Application Form and supporting documents. Stage 2 applications were assessed on a competitive basis, so funding was not guaranteed.
The minimum grant value was €50,000 in Ireland and £40,000 in Northern Ireland. The maximum was €300,000 in Ireland and £250,000 in Northern Ireland. Funding covered up to 80% of eligible costs, with applicants required to provide match funding. Projects had to be clearly defined capital investment schemes designed to enhance the visitor experience and deliver long-term tourism impact.
Download the scheme guidelines for the Shared Island Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme 2024. The guidelines set out who could apply, what costs were eligible, how applications were assessed, and what successful applicants needed to know.
Use the Coast-to-Coast toolkit for practical resources and guidance linked to the Shared Island Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme 2024. It brings together useful information to help you understand the scheme and the wider Shared Island Coast-to-Coast approach.
For more information about the scheme, contact the team using our contact form.
