€5k digital grant for Carrigaline enterprises

THE Carrigaline area is set to benefit from a €5,000 grant scheme aimed at boosting the community’s digital ecosystems.

The Rise community fund will dole out five monthly grants of €1,000 to businesses, community groups, and social enterprises to enhance their digital strategies.

The fund was launched by the privately funded Rise Global Foundation, which was set up last year to empower businesses across rural Ireland.

The foundation is partnering with National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the national broadband plan, to distribute the funding.

“We’re starting off the fund by inviting applications across our first deployment areas. First up is Carrigaline and the surrounding townlands, which will soon be followed up by Cavan and then Dundalk in the coming weeks,” NBI chief executive Peter Hendrick said.

“Every month we’ll open this up to other areas around the country in line with our rollout. In total, our team is working in 227 deployment areas, so the size and scale of our ambitions with the Rise community fund will quickly grow and bring tremendous benefits all across Ireland.”

Applications are open for groups in the Carrigaline area. Each submission must support the positive impact of technology on their project, highlighting an identified digital need.

Rise founder and NBI chairman David McCourt said: “At NBI, we’re on a mission to connect everyone in the country who doesn’t have access to high-speed broadband to a world-class, super-fast network.

“But we recognise that whilst connectivity is a vital utility and a critical first step, it alone can’t solve all of the challenges for businesses, community groups, and social enterprises trying to expand their operations and accelerate the positive impact they’re able to have.

“This is why we’re launching the Rise community fund to provide grants specifically aimed at enhancing people’s plans to use technology in creative and exciting ways to deliver maximum impact.”

See www.riseglobalfoundation.com for entry forms and guidelines.