Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, today announced the 15 projects in the Midlands that will receive grant awards amounting to €18 million from the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) programme.

All of the awarded projects will invest in local communities, to create employment and to diversify the local economy of the Midlands region. They range from innovation and community hubs to a range of education and training programmes, and from green energy projects to heritage initiatives.

Thirteen projects, led by, or with strong involvement from, local authorities have been awarded grant funding of between €200,000 and €1 million to deliver actions in line with their Local Economic and Community Plans in the Midlands. The approved projects will deliver significant benefits to the region, including:

• the upskilling and training of communities in the territory to participate in the low carbon economy;
• the preservation, repurposing and refurbishment of local infrastructure and heritage assets for use as enterprise space;
• supporting green technologies, including renewable energy and sustainable energy practices.

Two further strategic flagship projects supporting the delivery of the Regional Enterprise Plans have been approved for total funding of over €8 million:

• The Munster Technological University (MTU), in partnership with Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and the University of Limerick (UL) will deliver education and training opportunities for the economic development and environmental sustainability of the Midlands region.
• The Midlands Local Authorities (Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath) are allocating dedicated resources to realise sectoral ambitions in line with the objectives for the region’s Regional Enterprise Plan, including the Midland pathway to transition to a net-zero economy, Midlands Ireland Placemaking Programme and the Midlands Ireland Regional Food and Drink Strategy.

Projects have been selected through a competitive process under the EU Just Transition Fund Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme, administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, which seeks to support the implementation of bottom-up local and regional strategies. Successful projects needed to demonstrate close alignment with locally-led Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs).

Commenting on the projects approved for funding under the scheme, Minister Ryan stated:

“It is imperative that communities and workers who are most affected by the shift to a carbon neutral future are provided with targeted supports to address the social and economic impact of the transition.

“The changes we need to make have to be just, ensuring that the needs of people and planet are supported. This scheme will help communities across the Midlands to maximise the opportunities and benefits of the green economy by harnessing and supporting the implementation of bottom-up local and regional strategies. This will help build new economic strength and identity for the region while also supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

Clare Bannon, Acting Director of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), said:

“I welcome the announcement today of the projects that will receive funding through the Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme under the EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF). It is a significant milestone for the EU JTF Programme as this scheme is the first of its kind in Ireland in its approach to funding local and regional economic strategies, designed to put local authorities and communities at the centre of the delivery of the EU JTF in Ireland. These selected projects highlight the ingenuity and locally-conceived ideas that have the potential to make a lasting impact on the wider Midland region. We also extend our gratitude to all the applicants for their submissions, which have shown dedication to the opportunity that exists in the region.”

Councillor Kate Feeney, Cathaoirleach of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, remarked:

“The selection of these projects under the innovative EU JTF Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme is a transformative moment for the Irish Midlands. By bringing support directly from the EU to the local level where it is needed the most, the selected initiatives will foster growth and drives sustainable development for the communities in the region for years to come.”

Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:

“Pobal is delighted to be working with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly on the EU Just Transition Fund to support the implementation of these very exciting projects within the midlands. These diverse projects demonstrate a tangible investment in the development of local communities, building skills, generating employment and supporting the economic diversification of the midlands region as they transition to a low carbon economy. Pobal recognises the value of this fund and are proud to support it. We look forward to working with all stakeholder organisations in the region to make this scheme a success.”

Selected Projects

Details of the projects selected for funding under this scheme are listed below:

Project Name	Lead Organisation	County	Approved Funding Amount*
Athlone Smart Innovation and Co-working hub	Westmeath County Council, Technological University of the Shannon	Westmeath	€1,000,000
Ballaghaderreen Training, Upskilling and Community Hub	Roscommon County Council	Roscommon	€1,000,000
Biomethane Development Office	Tipperary County Council, Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) & the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF)	Tipperary	€993,011
Carbon Emission Reduction Training	Roscommon County Council	Roscommon	€569,037
Circular Economy Centre of Excellence	Longford County Council	Longford	€200,860
Computer Science in Every Secondary School in Co. Longford	Longford County Council	Longford	€841,290
Co-working Hub and Enterprise Centre	Westmeath County Council – Kinnegad	Westmeath	€1,000,000
Film Offaly Project	Offaly County Council	Offaly	€252,985
Junction 17 National Enterprise Park Development	Laois County Council	Laois	€1,000,000
Kilcormac Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence	Kilcormac Development Association	Offaly	€294,056
Manorhamilton Innovation and Development Community**	Future Cast	Roscommon	€793,970
Pre-Apprenticeship programme	Tipperary Education & Training Board	Tipperary	€999,791
Rathcrogan Farming/Cultural Heritage Scheme	Farming Rathcrogan Scheme Company	Roscommon	€886,634
Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition	Laois County Council	Regional	€3,992,882
ReSHAPE – Regional Skills Horizon And Pathways to Employment’ project	Munster Technological University	Regional	€4,154,602

*subject to grant-agreement

** Manorhamilton Innovation and Development Community will deliver this project in Co. Roscommon.

The Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund programme 2021-2027 which supports the workers and communities most negatively impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy by supporting the development of sustainable and resilient communities in the Midlands.

This programme focuses its activities in the EU Just Transition Fund Territory, consisting of Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon and the Municipal Districts of Ballinasloe (Co Galway), Athy, Clane-Maynooth, (Co Kildare) and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co Tipperary).

Successful projects will be delivered up to March 2026.

Further information on the scheme is available on the Pobal website.