The aim of this fund is to foster innovative climate solutions in the county of Kildare.

Generally speaking, we are interested in supporting projects that:

1. Address a research or practical gap in a process.
2. Help make an evidence-based climate solution relevant to your community.
3. Involves reimagining or reviving an old technique or method that is beneficial to reducing the impacts of climate change.
4. Involves providing a service or solution based on any open-source data sets

Example: Creating real-time indoor air quality monitoring systems to reduce indoor air pollution..

Example: Restoring a hedgerow to promote biodiversity and storing carbon.

Example: Using available biodiversity datasets to promote conservation efforts in your area.

However, this list isn’t exhaustive, and we welcome any application that aligns well with the project criteria documented below.

Eligible applicants must work or live in the operational area of Kildare County Council.  We welcome applications from community groups, small/medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, tradespeople, early-career researchers, educational institutions, and individual citizens. 

Project Criteria:

Quality of the Climate Adaption & Mitigation Technique: Our assessors will be looking for a well-thought out, detailed project that is evidence-based. It is essential that proposals draw on case studies, research, news articles or other literature to support your application.

Innovation: Demonstrating innovation will be a key factor for success in projects. How does your project offer something new to an evidence-based climate solutions? Does it address a research gap? Is it a practical addition to an established process? Or something new entirely? Please provide evidence to support your case.

Impact & Scalability: Can this idea be replicated and used in other areas? How will the learnings be shared beyond your community network? To ensure wide-scale impact of the fund, the assessors will be marking projects against its scalability factor.

Collaboration & Communication: Our assessors will be looking for projects that incorporate elements of collaboration with a wide variety of community stakeholders (schools, universities, businesses, sports clubs etc.) and that demonstrates effective communication strategies (through arts, social media, libraries, radio, tv etc.) to engage them throughout the project.

Value for Money: All projects must demonstrate excellent value for money. Value for money can be defined as not paying more for a service or good than its quality or availability justifies.

Funding is available per Municipal District (MD) as follows: Naas €25,000, Celbridge/Leixlip €25,000, Athy €15,320, Clane/Maynooth €15,400, and Kildare/Newbridge €1,665. The maximum amount that can be applied for is as per the max available funds in each MD.

Please note the financial allocations presented for each MD are indicative and are subject to change on an annual basis, contingent upon the availability of future funds.

Funding is available for 100% of the project. Each awarded project will receive up to €1,000 start up grant. The remaining balance of the full award will then be disbursed upon submission of all associated receipts, except for a €500 final payment that is contingent upon successful submission of the projects comprehensive final report. All project reports must be submitted before or by Friday 31^st of October 2025.

Applications can be submitted through the online Submit portal HERE

Closing date for receipt of applications 25th July 2025

To find out which Municipal District you are in, just enter your Eircode HERE

Please submit any queries in relation to the CIF to climateactionoffice@kildarecoco.ie