Service
Connected Hubs Fund
From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
The primary objective of the Connected Hubs Call is to support and complement the development of the National Hub Network, which is a key action of the Rural Development Policy - Our Rural Future and the National Remote Working Strategy – Making Remote Work. The Connected Hubs Call aims to add additional capacity to the existing remote working infrastructure in Ireland by upgrading existing hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), while continuing to support COVID-19 mitigation measures.
The Connected Hubs Call will provide owners, operators and managers of existing remote working facilities and BCPs with the opportunity to identify and develop their own solutions in consultation with local authorities, local business interests (e.g. Chambers of Commerce), Town Teams (or similar bodies) and community groups as appropriate.
Applicants must be BCPs or existing hubs (can demonstrate they have been in operation as a remote working hub for 6 months, unless exceptional circumstances are advised to DRCD). Existing hubs must already provide some element of remote working facilities. BCPs are not required to already provide remote working facilities but there should be some element of a remote working space being developed and the 6 months requirement does not apply to BCPs.
Deadline for Applications – 6pm on April 4th 2022.
The total indicative funding available for the Connected Hubs Call is €5 million.
The minimum grant which is available per single-hub application is €10,000.
The minimum grant funding available for a multi-hub application ranges from €30k to €50k – See Table below.
Where an applicant is applying for funding for a project solely related to an individual hub or BCP the maximum funding allowed will be €75,000.
The Department encourages applicants to, where possible, identify opportunities to deliver projects or works of a similar nature across multiple hubs. Multi hub applications must include a minimum of three hubs/BCPs and a maximum of five hubs/BCPs. The funding ceilings are provided In the Table below.
Please note: The maximum that may be allocated to any single hub or BCP that is part of a multi-hub application is €75,000.
| Number of hubs | Maximum level of funding | Minimum grant amount |
| Three | € 200,000 | €30,000 |
| Four | € 225,000 | €40,000 |
| Five | € 250,000 | €50,000 |
Table – Multi-hub applications: Minimum - Maximum Funding Ceilings
Applicants are asked to register their intention/expression of interest to apply to this scheme by Friday 4 March 2022 – this should be done via connectedhubs@drcd.gov.ie Emails should contain the subject line ‘EOI: Connected Hubs 2022 Call’.
Applications relating to single-hub projects should be made using Form 1 together with the required appendices and are subject to a maximum limit of €75,000 (and a minimum funding threshold of €10,000).
Applications for projects dealing with multiple hubs/BCPs should be grouped as a multi-hub application where possible and appropriate. Multi-hub applications must include a minimum of three hubs/BCPs and a maximum of five hubs/BCPs. Applications for such multi-hub projects should be made using Form 2 together with the required appendices.
| Connected Hubs 2022 | |
| Funding Announcement | 21 February |
| Expression of Interest Submissions | 21 February – 4 March |
| Information Sessions | Week Commencing 28 February |
| Application Submission Deadline | 6pm Monday 4 April |
| Funding Announcement* | End of April - Early May* |
| Project Completion Deadline | Friday 11 November 2022 |
| Compliance | Q4 2022 |
** Project Progress and compliance activity will be ongoing from application stage through to project completion. Project completion compliance checks will commence in Q4 2022
Update
Amended Connected Hubs call Scheme Outline now available. A minor amendment has been made to the text on page 6. This version replaces the previously issued version.
The Connected Hubs Call provided €8.9 million in funding for 118 projects across the country. All successful applicants can be found in the document below.