The Creative Communities on a Shared Island Fund has opened to support projects that use culture and creativity to build stronger connections between communities across the island of Ireland.
The fund is designed to encourage cooperation, collaboration and new ways of working together, particularly through creative and cultural activity. For organisations in Omagh and the wider West Tyrone area, it presents a valuable opportunity to engage in cross-border and east–west projects at scale.
Creative Communities is a partnership initiative between the Creative Ireland Programme and Ireland’s 31 local authorities, supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Funding available
Funding will be awarded across three strands during 2026–2028:
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Strand 1: €750,000 total
Up to €250,000 per project for up to three large-scale proposals -
Strand 2: €600,000 total
Awards of up to €150,000 to individual local authorities in Ireland -
Strand 3: €250,000 total
Five awards of €50,000 for small-scale projects
Who can apply?
Applications must be led by local authority Culture and Creativity Teams in Ireland, working in partnership with local or national organisations. Projects must involve north–south and/or east–west (Ireland–Britain) collaboration.
Eligible partners include:
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Charities and not-for-profit organisations
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Social enterprises
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Community groups and networks
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Businesses and commercial companies
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Arts and cultural organisations
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Creative collectives and networks
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Public sector bodies
This opens the door for Omagh-based creative businesses, community organisations and social enterprises to participate as partners in funded projects.
What this means for Omagh organisations
While Omagh organisations cannot apply as lead applicants, they can play a central role as delivery partners, collaborators or programme contributors. This allows local organisations to access significant funding and opportunities without carrying the administrative burden of leading an application.
For organisations across Omagh and rural West Tyrone, the fund can support:
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Cross-border collaboration with partners in Donegal, Monaghan and beyond
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East–west partnerships with organisations in Britain
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New creative programmes that would be difficult to fund locally
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Paid opportunities for artists, creatives and facilitators
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Projects tackling rural isolation, community cohesion and shared challenges
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Stronger professional networks beyond the local area
For rural organisations in particular, this funding helps overcome challenges such as small local markets and limited resources by connecting Omagh-based activity into larger all-island and east–west initiatives.
Organisations interested in getting involved should begin:
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Identifying potential local authority partners in Ireland
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Building relationships with cross-border or east–west collaborators
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Developing project ideas that demonstrate shared benefit and cooperation
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Positioning themselves as strong delivery partners with local knowledge and reach
How to apply
Applications can be made online only.
🕐 Closing date: 1pm on Friday 27 February 2026
