Mayo communities urged to avail of new cash grants

Small businesses and community groups and organisations in Mayo are being urged to avail of funding through a community fund supported by National Broadband Ireland.

The RISE Community Fund has announced plans to award new cash grants to small businesses, farms, social enterprises, schools, charities and community groups in County Mayo, with funding available to those who can demonstrate innovative plans to use technology to scale the positive impact of their work and benefit the local community.

Supported by National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company responsible for delivering the Irish Government’s National Broadband Plan, as well as other corporate partners including KN Circet, KPMG, Test Triangle, DreamDev Technologies and TLI Group, the RISE Community Fund has travelled the breadth of the country in recent years to provide a cash injection for community organisations thinking creatively about how they can use technology.

Previous Mayo groups to receive grant funding from the RISE Community Fund include Foodie Save Ltd, Parke Community Hall CLG, Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitors Centre, Balla Community Resources Development CLG, Croí, The West of Ireland Cardiac and Stroke Foundation, FACT Social Club Foxford Alzheimer's & Community Trust and Urlaur Pattern & Family Fun Day Committee.

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David McCourt, Chairman of NBI and founder of RISE, commented: “At NBI we’ve always been clear that our mission is about more than bringing Netflix to rural Ireland; it’s about empowering communities to embrace new technologies with the foundation of world-class fibre broadband, which NBI is delivering at scale. In partnership with RISE, we’re finding and rewarding entrepreneurial uses of technology, and we’ve already awarded over 130 cash grants across the country, including many great examples here in Mayo.”

Applications for the cash grants open on February 3 and close on February 28, 2025 with grants of up to €1,000 available to successful applicants across the county.

“The application process is incredibly quick and easy, and successful applicants will be notified in March, with money following in quick succession. We can’t wait to see the entrepreneurial ideas from Mayo,” added McCourt.

With over 11,800 premises in Mayo already able to order or pre-order a service on its network, NBI is reminding Mayo residents and businesses to visit their website at www.nbi.ie to order from their broadband provider of choice.

Read more about the RISE Community Fund and gain access to the grant application at www.riseglobalfoundation.com.