Capital funding 2021 announcment

​Early Years Capital 2021 Announcement

Dear Service Provider,

Further to DCEDIY’s recent announcement on the early learning and care and school aged childcare Capital Programme for 2021, we are pleased to inform you that the 2021 Capital application process will be available on The Hive system in late January 2021.

The funding available for the 2021 Capital Programme is €8.3million and the priority for funding is to support compliance of fire-safety regulations and standards. Capital grants of between €1,000 and €10,000 will be available to contribute to the costs of remedial works required to receive a Fire Safety Certificate. This certificate is required as part of the statutory regulation process undertaken by Tusla, the independent regulator of the sector.

Eligible works under the 2021 Capital Programme will include the following:

· Fire safety fit out costs, for example, installing fire alarm systems and fire protection measures such as escape routes; lighting, fire doors, fire proofing specific walls and floors; and escape stairways, with windows as secondary escape option;
· Fire safety equipment including smoke alarms, CO2 alarms, fire extinguishers, fire blankets; and
· Fire safety maintenance and replacement of key “fire risk appliances” such as electrical wiring and gas boilers.

To be eligible for funding, works must be identified as being required in a fire safety assessment report which has been completed since June 2019 by a competent person who is a registered architect, building surveyor or engineer. The fire safety assessment must be provided with the application for funding. If you do not have a Fire Safety Certificate and intend to apply for a grant under the 2021 Capital Programme, please ensure that you have a fire safety assessment to support your application, by early February. The fire safety assessment may be dated at any time after 1 June 2019 – although, if material works have been carried out in your service since the fire safety assessment was obtained, you will have to provide an updated assessment.

Further information and applicant guidelines will be published in advance of the application process opening.

Kind regards
Early Years Operations Team