Applicants should submit any questions about the 2026 What Works In Communities Fund to WhatWorks@dcde.gov.ie. Anonymised versions of these questions and the DCDE responses will be published below.
Q: Do you accept applications from staff employed by a statutory organisation?
A: As stated in the Guidance Note, statutory organisations are not eligible to apply for funding; however, they can act as financial host organisations for successful applicants that are not set up with bank details.
Q: Can organisations in receipt of other funding apply for the 2026 What Works in Communities Fund?
A: Organisations already in receipt of funding from a Government Department or State Agency for a similar project are not eligible to apply.
However, in all other cases – yes, organisations in receipt of other funding are eligible to apply.
Q: Is it permissible for an organisation to submit two applications to the fund, for different projects?
A: Only one application per organisation will be accepted.
Q: What is the age range for this fund?
A: The Fund aims to support children and young people. In line with “Young Ireland, Ireland’s National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028”, a child or young person can be defined as being aged from birth to 24.
Q: Can a consortium of different applications submit a joint application for this fund?
A: Yes, a consortium of organisations may submit a joint application.
Q: Can funds be transferred to a third party after the award is drawn down by the awardee to speed up the payments process?
A: Due to the need for Grantees to comply with
- the terms and conditions of the fund,
- the contract established between the grantee and DCDE,
- and the Statement of Principles for Grantees of Circular 13/2014, Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds,
we would not be able to permit the transfer of funds to a third party for the purpose described.
Q: Are supporting materials accepted as part of applications?
A: Supporting materials are not permitted for this funding call and any additional documentation sent will not be considered. Applicants will be marked solely on their submitted application forms.
Q: For larger organisations, should all sources of 2026 funding be listed in Section 3?
A: In this case, only sources of funding relevant to the initiative or project seeking funding should be listed.