Climate Innovation Fund 2026
&
Local Environment Action Fund (LEAF) 2026
Funding Call Timelines
The Local Environment Action Fund (LEAF) Funding Call will open at 5pm on 1st July and close at 8pm on 3rd August.
The Climate Innovation Fund 2026 Funding Call will open at 5pm on 7th July and close at 8pm on 2nd August 2026.
Notes:
Applicants may apply to both funding calls for funds to implement separate individual projects or for separate items within the same overall project. If applying to both funding calls for separate items that are part of the same overall project, applicants are required to highlight this in the relevant sections of each application form.
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 project's final report.
Local Environment Action Fund (LEAF) 2026
The Local Environment Action Fund (LEAF) is a national partnership between IPB Insurance and all 31 local authorities. €50,000 in funding is being made available in County Kildare to support community-led projects focused on environmental enhancement, biodiversity and climate action. The initiative forms part of IPB Insurance’s centenary year, marking 100 years of partnering with local authorities in protecting and supporting communities across Ireland.
Eligibility
The Fund will support Tidy Towns committees, Resident Associations and voluntary community groups registered with the Public Participation Network (PPN). A key focus of the fund is collaboration. Applicants are encouraged to work with other local stakeholders such as schools, sports clubs, youth groups, Men’s Sheds, resident associations, community centres, local businesses or other community organisations. This reflects the theme of the fund: “Communities Working Together for Climate.”
The fund will support a wide range of eligible projects, including biodiversity conservation, pollinator-friendly planting, tree planting, urban greening, waste reduction, recycling initiatives, water conservation, renewable energy projects, climate resilience measures, and public education or awareness campaigns on sustainability.
Kildare County Council is particularly interested in applications that demonstrate strong environmental value, meaningful community engagement, realistic delivery plans and long-term sustainability. Projects will be assessed under four criteria:
- relevance to climate action and environmental enhancement;
- community engagement and impact;
- feasibility and sustainability; and
- innovation and creativity.
Grant Awards & Requirements
Grant awards may range from €1,000 up to €25,000, subject to the scale of the project, available funding and the quality of applications received. Applicants will be asked to provide a completed application form, evidence of PPN registration, a project proposal, a budget breakdown and any relevant supporting documents.
Successful applicants will be required to provide brief reporting after project completion, including information on activities delivered, expenditure, project outcomes and, where relevant, before and after photos and community feedback.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted through the online Submit Portal Here
Closing date for receipt of applications is 8pm 3rd August 2026
Please submit any queries in relation to LEAF to climateactionoffice@kildarecoco.ie
Climate Innovation Fund 2026
Kildare County Council is pleased to announce the launch of the Climate Innovation Fund 2026, a grant programme designed to support innovative projects that address climate challenges and inspire new approaches to climate action across municipal districts in Kildare. The fund will be available in the participating municipal districts of Athy MD, Celbridge-Leixlip MD, Clane-Maynooth MD, and Naas MD.
Funded by Kildare County Council through Local Property Tax (LPT) funding, the Climate Innovation Fund aims to encourage creative thinking, pilot projects, new partnerships, and innovative ways of delivering sustainability, biodiversity and climate action that can be replicated, adapted or scaled elsewhere.
Projects supported under the fund could include innovative climate mitigation or adaptation initiatives, behaviour change programmes, community climate pilots, digital or technology-based solutions, partnership projects, demonstration initiatives, or projects that generate learning and evidence that can be shared with others. The fund recognises that innovation does not have to be highly technical; it can also involve applying existing ideas in new ways, creating new partnerships, or developing creative responses to local climate challenges.
A key objective of the Climate Innovation Fund is to support projects that not only deliver climate benefits but also generate learning and provide examples that can inform and inspire future action elsewhere. Applicants will be encouraged to consider how the outcomes of their projects can be shared, repeated, adapted or scaled beyond their initial delivery area.
Eligibility
The fund is open to a wide range of applicants, including community groups, voluntary organisations, businesses, social enterprises, individual applicants and other eligible organisations. Applicants may live, work or study in one of the participating municipal districts, or propose a project that will deliver benefits within one or more of those districts. The Council is particularly interested in projects that test new ideas, trial innovative technologies, explore new methods of community engagement, or demonstrate novel approaches to addressing climate challenges.
Grant Awards and Requirements
Grant awards will range from €1,000 to €25,000, depending on the level of LPT funding made available in each MD, the scale of the project and the funding requested. Applicants will be asked to provide a completed application form, evidence of PPN registration, a project proposal, a budget breakdown and any relevant supporting documents.
Successful applicants will be required to provide brief reporting after project completion, including information on activities delivered, expenditure, project outcomes and, where relevant, before and after photos and community feedback.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted through the online Submit Portal Here
Closing date for receipt of applications is 8pm 2nd August 2026
Please submit any queries in relation to the Climate Innovation Fund to climateactionoffice@kildarecoco.ie