Objective of Scheme Strategic Tourism and Amenity Infrastructure Investment Scheme The objective of this scheme is to develop and/or upgrade strategic tourism and amenity infrastructure in County Galway to increase the attractiveness of the County as a place to visit and live. Outcomes The key outcomes from this investment in strategic Tourism and Amenity infrastructural projects will be; 1. To increase spend by visitors to County Galway. The projects supported will need to be able to indicate how they will support an increase in the number of visitors to the County and/or increase the length of time they spend in County Galway. 2. To create employment opportunities in the Tourism Sector. Proposals will need to demonstrate how they will assist in creating employment in the Tourism sector either in the municipal district in which the project is located or in the County as a whole. 3. Increase the profile of Galway as a tourism destination. The projects selected should demonstrate how they will increase the profile and appeal of Galway as a Tourism destination. 4. To serve the needs of the entire population of the County or at a minimum a municipal district. As these are strategic projects they will need to be able to indicate how they meet a need of the entire municipal district that they are located in as well as visitors to the area. 5. Contribute to Outdoor Tourism and Amenity policy. The projects selected will have to demonstrate how they will assist in achieving the objectives of policy documents in respect of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. The proposals for this investment in strategic recreational and amenity projects will need to 1. Leverage matching funding for the project. The projects selected will indicate matching funding supplied by the private/public or community sector. 2. Facility management plan. The projects selected will be required to have a viable management plan for the facility/infrastructure into the future that deals with the maintenance and management of the facility/infrastructure. 3. Financial Stability. The projects supported will have to have a robust financial plan which outlines how revenue will be generated to ensure the viability of the project into the future. Total Funding available/funding categories A total fund of 1.5 million will be available for projects which meet the objectives of the scheme but the allocation of funding will only occur when eligible projects (ie those that achieve the outcomes outlined above) of sufficient impact and quality are received.
Grants may be allocated in 3 categories Category A: Projects costing up to 20,000. In the case of these projects the funding provided by Galway County Council will be offered at a matching fund rate of 50% up to a maximum grant of 10,000. Category B: projects costing from 20,000 to 300,000. In the case of these projects, the funding provided by Galway County Council will be offered at a matching fund rate of 50% up to a maximum grant of 150,000. Category C: Projects in excess of 300,000. In the case of these projects, Galway County Council will contribute funding at a matching fund rate of 50% of up to a maximum of 250,000. Four types of projects may be considered for support; i. Galway County Council led projects ii. Community led projects iii. Partnerships between Galway County Council and other public sector stakeholders iv. Private Sector projects while not the focus of the scheme are not excluded. NOTE: Regular mainstream activity of Galway County Council, i.e. Road maintenance, directional signage, environmental services etc. will not be funded using this scheme. Projects that are eligible for funding under the National Sports Capital Scheme or other national funding programmes will not be considered for funding under this scheme. The availability of other funding schemes under which the proposal might be considered shall be taken into account when assessing an application. Other public funding sought by or made available to the project will also be taken into consideration. Expressions of interest from project promoters should be submitted on the attached form. This should be viewed as stage 1 of the application process with further more detailed information to be sought in respect of any project that is selected to move to the next phase. Deadline for submission of Expression of Interest Forms is 3pm on Thursday October 26 th 2017.
Reference Number: (to be completed by Galway County Council on receipt of Expression of Interest) Strategic Tourism and Amenity Infrastructure Investment Scheme Expression of Interest Funding Measure: (Please tick one box below indicating the category under which you are seeking funding) A: Tourism Infrastructure Or B: Amenity Infrastructure Funding Category (Please tick one box below indicating the level of funding requested) A: Projects up to 20,000 (maximum grant available 10,000) Minimum matching funding of 50% required from Project promoter B: Projects from 20,000 to 300,000 (maximum grant available 150,000) Minimum matching funding of 50% required from Project Promoter C: Projects in excess of 300,000 (maximum grant available 250,000) Minimum matching funding of 50% required from Project promoter Applicant Organisation : Contact Person: Correspondence Address: Correspondence Email: Correspondence Telephone: Project Name if applicable: Tax Registered No: Charitable Status No: Proof of Tax Registration/Charitable Status together with Tax Clearance Certificate if applicable must be submitted with this application.
Names of partner agencies and stakeholders: Please provide individual contact details for each partner agency or stakeholder below: Name: Telephone: Email: Location/ Details of proposed works: If work is on a trail, is it NTO Approved? Date of last NTO inspection and Score received if relevant: Total cost of project: Match Funding if any: Amount being sought under this application Schedule of proposed works Please provide a detailed description of proposed works including locations, materials to be used, breakdown of costs, personnel or resources to be utilised. Particular emphasis should be placed on proposed works in designated areas, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA), etc. bearing in mind any necessary appropriate assessments/approvals/planning permissions etc. that may need to be obtained, together with permission from the relevant agencies/landowners.
Evidence of the necessity of the relevant works This evidence may be extracts from relevant reports to support particular elements of the proposal and photographic evidence as to the nature of the required works may be included. Please provide extracts from feasibility studies or commissioned reports verifying the need for these works. Duration of proposed works Please provide as best as practicable time frames for the delivery of the proposed works to include commencement dates and completion dates for the various elements of the project. Match Funding Please provide details of any match funding being provided stating in what form the contribution is being made, cash etc. and the organisation providing the matching funding. The total cost of the project and the sources of all elements of funding must be outlined.
Future Management and Maintenance Please provide details of how the project will be managed and maintained into the future. Meeting of objectives of the Scheme Please set out how it is felt that the project proposed meets the objectives of the scheme as set out above including added value to the Tourism offering together with the economic benefit that will accrue, including job retention and creation. Please submit this Expression of Interest Form to Strategic Tourism and Amenity Infrastructure Investment Scheme Community, Enterprise and Economic Development Unit Galway County Council Prospect Hill Galway Deadline for submission of Expression of Interest Forms is 3pm on Thursday October 26 th 2017.