The government has today (Thursday, March 19) launched the 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), a funding initiative designed to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland.

According to a statement from the Department of Rural and Community Development, the nationwide scheme will finance projects aimed at stimulating town centre economic activity and social regeneration.

Additionally, the scheme will grant up to €500,000 per local authority, enabling the acquisition of vacant and/or derelict buildings and land, in a bid to make rural towns and villages more attractive to reside in.

This scheme also reportedly aims to:

Restore footfall in towns and businesses;
Create sustainable employment opportunities;
Develop green spaces or recreational amenities in town or village centres;
Enhance streetscapes and shopfronts;
Upgrade or refurbish community centres with a multi-purpose approach;
Build remote working facilities;
Support the establishment of town or village centre markets, including farmers markets, local trade markets, etc;
Promote the night-time economy in line with recommendations from the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.

Launching the 2025 Scheme, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary, said:

“I’m delighted today to launch the 2025 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which will provide funds to develop projects in every corner of the country.

"The TVRS continues to have a hugely positive impact in Ireland’s rural towns and villages and this investment will further strengthen this work.

“Rural development continues to be a key priority for the government and we will continue to support the revitalisation and resilience of rural Ireland, transforming our towns and villages – creating better places to live, work, and participate in their local community,” he added.

Each local authority is invited to submit applications of varying scale under one of the three funding streams available under the 2025 scheme, which comprise the following budgetary allowances:

Three applications funding between €50,000 and €300,000 per project;
One application funding between €50,000 and €500,000 per project.

Two applications funding up to €50,000 per project.

Up to three applications with a total fund of up to €500,000 per local authority.

The closing date for the submission of applications under the building and land acquisition measure is May 2, 2025 and July 25, 2025, for the main scheme and project development measure.

This year’s call for proposals will also allow for the submission of one additional application for one larger scale project - up to €300,000 - for local authorities with an inhabited offshore island and/or Gaeltacht areas, the department outlined.

"The project development measure has been hugely successful in providing an opportunity to develop a pipeline of significant, well developed projects therefore will be funded under the TVRS again this year," Minister Calleary said.

“I am strongly encouraging local authorities to work closely with communities to put forward projects that are ambitious and will make a positive difference,” he added.

Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2016, over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects nationwide, the government reported.