We are delighted to announce that the 2021 County Monaghan Volunteer Awards are now opened for nominations.

The County Monaghan Volunteer Awards recognise, reward and celebrate the achievements of volunteers throughout Monaghan, this year we would like to pay particular attention to groups and individuals throughout the county, who have played key roles in supporting others throughout the ongoing COVID – 19 pandemic.

You can access the nomination in PDF form here: Co. Monaghan Volunteer Awards Nomination Form 2021 pdf

or submit online here:

Nomination Form Online

• €700,000 will be made available to support community services for LGBTI+ people.
• Funding aims to promote inclusion, protect rights and to improve quality of life and wellbeing for LGBTI+ people in Ireland.
• Grant scheme is open to applications from existing LGBTI+ non-government organisations and community organisations working with LGBTI+ people.

• Strategic fit and achieving the goals of the Scheme, including how the proposed project would benefit LGBTI+ people in rural areas.
• Strength of proposal, including how the planned activities will improve services and meet the current unmet needs of the LGBTI+ community.
• Financial management and value for money

Small food businesses are being encouraged to apply for funding under the LEADER Food Initiative – a €5 million investment aimed at assisting businesses to deal with the challenges posed by Brexit and COVID-19.

Our Rural Future:

Ministers Humphreys, McConalogue, and Hackett announce final call for applications to the LEADER Food Initiative

Minister Humphreys said: “I recently launched the Transitional LEADER Programme for 2021 and 2022, underpinned by €70 million in funding. I am delighted to announce the final call for applications under LEADER Food Initiative. Commenting on the development, Minister McConalogue said: I am pleased that applicants with eligible projects under this call can be eligible for consideration for the increased maximum funding limit now increased from 50% to 75%. The €5m funding now made available will help support farmers and food enterprises to develop premium, sustainable outlets for their products on the Irish market.” Minister Hackett continued: "It is so important to help connect small food producers to the consumer. That’s why I am pleased that this funding is made available under the LEADER Food Initiative. The support will help local food enterprises to access advisory, investment, and marketing support for those who wish to diversify into new products and to build efficient, sustainable routes to market that help connect small food producers to the consumer."

Minister Mc Gonagle said "I am happy to announce that the final tranche of the €15m funding allocated by my Department for the LEADER Food Initiative is now being made available for this final call for applications for artisan, micro and small food enterprises engaged in the agri-food sector. Following on from my announcement last year on extending the measure into 2021, I am pleased that applicants with eligible projects under this call can be eligible for consideration for the increased maximum funding limit now increased from 50% to 75%. The €5m funding now made available will help support farmers and food enterprises to develop premium, sustainable outlets for their products on the Irish market.” Minister Mc Conalogue added: “I hope that the increased maximum rates of aid will encourage these food businesses, who have shown great resilience during the past year, to apply for this funding support."

Find out how the LEADER Programme can assist you by contacting the LEADER office on 042 9749500 or email

Please click links for Expression of Interest Form and Guidance Notes

• Reducing household energy costs
• Improving the energy efficiency of your home.
• Grants available to homeowners.

Applications are now open for the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS)

MID welcomes expression of interest from groups interested in applying for this ORIS funding under Measure 1 which offers grant aid up to €20,000.

You can fill out EOI form here at; https://forms.gle/3M3M7vHjG3TgUwSd7 

Eligible Activities include, but are not limited to, small scale maintenance such as the upkeep, repair and development of trails, walkways, cycleways, greenways and blueways, recreational facilities at bogs, rivers, lakes and beaches, natural play areas that form part of a larger outdoor recreation project and the promotion and marketing of such infrastructure.

For more info and or an Expression of Interest form in Word format, please contact Aurelia at  

Closing date for completed Expressions of Interest is Friday 28th May 2021 @ 5pm

This is a competitive process and the number of applications under the fund are limited.

Join us for a free Innovating Communities Ballybay Ideas Generation Workshop for community groups, individuals and businesses in the Ballybay area. The event takes place on Tuesday 1^st June @ 7pm via Google Meet, link to follow – register through the Eventbrite link to receive updates at www.eventbrite.ie/e/ballybay-idea-generation-workshop-innovating-communities-tickets-155782745385 

Let us get together to develop solutions to challenges you identify in your area!

Through the Innovating Communities project we can then assist your area by providing a free course to tackle these challenges using Design Thinking (the method we'll be teaching participants to create solutions) and ask you to put forward ideas based on local challenges and opportunities that you see in Ballybay and its surrounds.

For potential Challengers (participants), we'll describe the commitment of a 21 hour Sprint Course and the 42 hour Marathon Course and hope to focus your ideas into a Course related to the Challenges you see around you.

The event shouldn't take much longer than an hour so please get involved and let your ideas flow!

For more info, visit www.innovating.ie / contact Collette  / 087 176 1732

If you’re not from the Ballybay area and wish to host an Idea Generation Workshop in your local area, get in touch!

Project approvals under the Transitional Programme will commence from 1st April 2021. The Programme will bridge the gap between EU LEADER programming periods. 

The Initial allocation of approx. €1.6k to support Monaghan-led rural development with a key focus on building capacity in communities.

The Main Priorities include: 

Supports to rural businesses seeking to reach new markets, expand, innovate and/or diversify in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Brexit, with a particular emphasis on providing support to businesses in the food sector.

Community-based projects that seek to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supports and capacity building for communities that have not previously received assistance under LEADER or other rural programmes.

Support for new and innovative projects in the areas of climate change, environmental protection and the green economy.

Maximising the potential of broadband and the digital economy in communities, including through skills development and building awareness and usage of available remote working facilities.

Projects that develop the concept of the Smart Village initiative to local area development

Find out more:  

For queries on the new Transitional LEADER programme please contact Marjan, Marianne or Rita on 042 9749500 or email us at 

Please click links for Expression of Interest Form  & EOI Guidance Notes 

All Expressions of Interest received will be assessed for eligibility for funding in line with the LEADER Operating Rules, Monaghan Local Development Strategy and the priorities for Transitional Funding. If your proposed project is eligible, you will be invited to submit a full project application. 

Announcing the details of the Transitional Programme, Minister Humphreys said:

“Since 1991, the LEADER Programme has played an important role in the development and enhancement of rural areas, by providing critical funding to rural economies, and supporting rural communities to implement a local-led ‘bottom-up’ approach to developing their own areas

With co-financing from the EU, LEADER has supported thousands of projects across Ireland. It has contributed to job creation, community development and environmental projects throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland.

A new call for proposals under the LEADER Food Initiative will also be announced in 2021. This Initiative, which is jointly managed by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will support small food producers to address emerging challenges, such as responding to the impact of Brexit and developing markets for their products.

The Transitional Programme will give local communities and enterprises an opportunity to respond to the emerging challenges for rural areas and to look ahead to issues that are likely to feature in the next EU programme.

It will allow the Local Development Companies to build capacity within communities who have not received LEADER funding to date, while also facilitating preparations for the next LEADER programme.”

The Innovating Communities project offers free training in Design Thinking, aka Problem Solving, to empower and bring likeminded people together in Monaghan, and across our 5 neighbour counties, to tackle challenges in their area.

Check out the video to learn more about the project ⬇️ and be the change you want to see 🌱

Design your future with us through the Innovating Communities project! Visit and register your interest to get involved and keep up to date with Monaghan's activity at www.innovating.ie. 

And feel free to contact Collette at  / 087 1761732

Meet Collette and Jacqueline! 🎊 They will help deliver the Design Thinking training courses as part of the Innovating Communities project which we are part of. You can view and register your interest to participate in these courses at www.innovating.ie/training 

⭐️ Collette is the Innovating Communities Network Admin Coordinator liaising between the six participating counties Monaghan, Cavan, Louth, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan. She has an interest in environmental, economic and social sustainability and inclusivity. Collette is an active member of Transition Monaghan, an Advocacy Champion for the Irish Cancer Society in the Cavan-Monaghan area and a founding member of the newly formed Monaghan Toastmasters Club.

⭐️ Jacqueline is a community development worker supporting refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, Roma and Travellers. Previously she was involved in youth work in Martinique, USA, France and London before coming back home to Monaghan. She's about to complete Creativity and Change at Crawford College of Art and Design and is currently a UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate for 2021.

They, along with their fellow Monaghan cotrainers Mila, Jonathan, Karen, Gerard and Shauna, will be helping to lead the Design Thinking training for community activists across Monaghan.

Sign up for a course today over on www.innovating.ie!