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Sports Capital Programme
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The 2020 Sports Capital Programme closed for applications on Monday, 1 March 2021. Over 3,100 applications were submitted and the assessment process will take several months. As soon as the assessments are complete applicants will be informed of the outcome of the assessment of their applications.
With the evolving COVID-19 situation we are aware many sporting cubs and organisations are facing disruption. Our aim in the Sports Capital Programmes Division is to continue to support you and we encourage you to continue to contact us to advance your project.
We will continue to do all that we can to respond as quickly as possible to any queries that you might have but as resources are diverted in response to the challenge posed to the nation by COVID-19 the level of service that we provide may be affected.
Your understanding in this regard is appreciated. We will remain flexible in our response as the situation develops but would advise that if you are having difficulty contacting us by phone it would be best to raise any query you have by email and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.
2020 Sports Capital Programme allocations
2020 Sports Capital Programme – Equipment only: National Governing Bodies Allocations August 2021
The Sports Capital Programme is the primary vehicle for government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Its objectives are to:
- assist voluntary and community organisations, national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport, local authorities and Education and Training Boards and schools to develop high quality, accessible, safe, well-designed, sustainable facilities in appropriate locations and to provide appropriate equipment to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation
- prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas and groups (such as people with disabilities) in the provision of sports facilities
- encourage the sharing of sports facilities by clubs, community organisations and national governing bodies of sport
The Sports Capital Programme is a Project Ireland 2040 initiative.
The online OSCAR Website is the only way to apply for grants under the Sports Capital Programme. OSCAR also allows groups to view previous grants and payments, change contact details, seek payment of a grant and otherwise communicate with the department online.
Before applying for a grant all organisations must first register on OSCAR. See the Sports Capital Programme - Guide to Registration.
If you are unsure if your organisation has previously registered a list of all registered organisations is available here.
All registered organisations are automatically notified when a new round of the programme is open for applications.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is now closed for applications.
The following resources may help in preparing for any future rounds of the programme (please note that the terms and conditions for the next round are likely to change and you should check the up to date recourses prior to making an application).
- Read the guide to the 2020 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme below.
- Watch the video guide to the application form
- Read the Frequently asked questions about the programme
- Download a blank Sports Capital and Equipment Programme 2020 sample application form
After each round of the SCP a review is undertaken with the aim of further improving the process. The Review of the 2018 round of the SCP is available.
For information on how applications are assessed, read the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme 2020 assessment guide.
The department has written a series of guides to assist grantees with getting formal approval and payment of their grants:
You can see all the applications submitted under the 2020 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme in PDF here Sports Capital and Equipment Programme 2020 applications or in Comma Separated Values here Sports Capital and Equipment Programme 2020 applications.
You can see all Sports Capital Programmes Allocations to date.
Details of payments under the SCP are available.
It is a requirement of the Sports Capital Programme that equipment and facilities funded by the Programme are accessible to people with disabilities. All capital projects must conform to the 7 principles of universal design.
The department has prepared a guide on accessible gym equipment.
For more information, Cara - Sport Inclusion Ireland have created resource factsheets on how to make your sports facilities, equipment and activities more accessible to people with disabilities.
For telephone queries, please ring the relevant county contact point as shown below (please note that all staff are currently working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions so these numbers will not be answered outside of normal working hours and only in accordance with individuals specific work patterns. Furthermore, a high volume of telephone calls is likely as the deadline date approaches):
| Telephone Number | County | |
| 085 8583088 | Carlow & Waterford | |
| 085 8768032 | Cavan, Donegal & Longford | |
| 085 8768033 | Clare & Mayo | |
| 085 8583055 | Cork | |
| 085 8012824/085 8769470 | Dublin | |
| 085 8583102 | Galway & Louth | |
| 085 8012864 | Kerry, Limerick & Monaghan | |
| 085 8805606 | Kildare, Sligo & Tipperary | |
| 085 8583303 | Kilkenny & Offaly | |
| 085 8525141 | Leitrim, Meath, Roscommon & Westmeath | |
| 085 8012866 | Wexford & Laois | |
| 085 8054728 | Wicklow | |
| 085 8012824/085 8049667 | All local authorities | |
| 085 7479404, 085 852 8917 | Regional & National Projects | |
| 085 7479404, 085 852 8917 | National Governing Bodies Projects | |
| 085 8622721/085 8583057 | Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund Projects |
If your sports club or organisation is acquiring land or a building, developing facilities or purchasing fixed, non-personal equipment for sports activities, or repaying a loan for any of these purposes, a provision in the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief on donations made by individuals or companies to the sports body towards the cost of the project . This is a Revenue Commissioners scheme with the Sports Capital Division approving projects.
The attached document sets out the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s General Block Exemption Regulations - Capital grants scheme for large sports and recreational facilities projects for the period 2017 – 2021.
