Pollinator beds, rain gardens, a community orchard, solar panels on a clubhouse roof. Cork City Council has set aside €50,000 for projects like these, and any group that wants a share has to belong to the Cork City Public Participation Network (PPN) first.
The money is the Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 2026, run by the council in partnership with IPB Insurance. It pays for work that improves biodiversity, builds climate resilience, cuts emissions or improves neighbourhoods. Grants run from €1,000 to €25,000.
Two streams
Roughly €40,000 sits in a capital investment fund. About €10,000 goes to an events and awareness fund, which covers community events, training and awareness work. Capital projects get approximately 80% of the total.
Eligible capital work includes rain gardens, window and door upgrades for community facilities, small solar installations that do not need an ESB NC7 application, and e-bikes or e-cargo bikes for community use. Electric vehicles other than those bikes are excluded, as are solar installations that require an NC7 application. Schools cannot apply, though they can partner with a group that qualifies.
Who can apply
Applicants had to be PPN members and able to finish their projects between 1 September and 30 November 2026. Projects also had to show collaboration with at least one other community group, school, club or organisation, or explain why that was not feasible. The closing date was noon on 29 July 2026.
The council asked applicants to consider how a project would help the local environment, who else it could involve and how it would keep delivering benefits after the funding ended.
Lord Mayor of Cork Damian Boylan said: “Some of the most effective climate action happens at community level.” He urged groups to apply, whether they planned wildlife habitats, better community spaces or skills training.
John Hogan, chair of IPB Insurance, tied the fund to the insurer’s centenary year. “As Ireland’s local government mutual insurer, IPB Insurance exists to protect our members who, every day, serve the public and their communities,” he said. He added that he was “particularly delighted to see the fund launching here today in Cork City Council.”
Sources
- Cork City Council Invites Applications to €50,000 Local Environmental Action Fund
- Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 2026
Sources
- Cork City Council Invites Applications to €50000 Local …
- Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 2026 – Cork City Council
