The Night-Time Economy Grassroots Music Venues Support Scheme 2025 (Ireland)

The pilot scheme builds on the learnings from the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme and the subsequent ‘After Hours’ Museum Scheme. This scheme will provide funding for a series of events shining a spotlight on grassroots artists performing live/electronic music they have written/created themselves. It is envisaged that these events will also provide employment for crew, light and sound engineering, marketing and PR, as well as increasing footfall to grassroots venues and contributing to a thriving night-time economy.

Objectives

• Support small/medium grassroots music venues and acknowledge the risk they take in programming and nurturing emerging original music artists.
• Invigorate the Night-Time Economy nationwide by providing a diverse cultural offering, supporting new talent and increasing footfall to awarded venues in the grassroots music scene.
• Showcase the talent of musicians and electronic music artists who perform music they have written/created themselves and provide them with opportunities to build connections in the industry and gain performing experience.
• Provide employment opportunities for professionals including production staff and crew who are dependent on live performances.

Funding Information

• This scheme will operate with a fund of €500k. The maximum grant amount allowable will be €15,000 per successful venue. The minimum grant that can be applied for is €5,000 per venue. Grantees may draw down funding for 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of the allocated figure. The grantee will be required to self-fund the remaining 25% of eligible costs and all costs not eligible for funding.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Registered business with its venue located in the State.
  • The venue promotes itself and is known in the community as an established live music venue or dance venue, with grassroots music performance forming a core part of its programming.
  • The venue operates with a capacity of 500 or less.
  • Venues must have a strong track record over two years (2023-2024 inclusive) of regularly programming grassroots music events.
    • For the purpose of this scheme, a grassroots music event is defined as a ticketed event where the emerging artist is from Ireland or resides in Ireland, and creates and performs their own work. It does not include events where tribute acts or cover bands perform.
    • For the purpose of this scheme, a track record is defined as having held regular ticketed and advertised grassroots music events over two years (2023-2024 inclusive).
    • Evidence of this must be submitted with the application, including promotional material, photographic evidence and ticket sales (e.g. Eventbrite logs).
  • Venues must have an existing stage or designated stage area where performances have taken place.
  • Venues must have at least one of the following (photographic evidence must be submitted with the application)
    • defined audience space
    • dance floor
    • sound booth
    • ticket hatch
    • stage-facing or elevated seating
  • Venues must have at least one of the following pieces of equipment to facilitate live performed music (photographic evidence must be submitted with the application)
    • mixing desk
    • PA system
    • stage monitors
    • lighting rig
    • back line
    • stage microphones
    • spare instruments
    • instrument consumables
  • Venues must employ or otherwise utilise at least two of the following (they may be the same person)
    • Sound engineer
    • Booker
    • Promoter
    • Cashier
    • Stage manager
    • Security personnel
  • Businesses must be tax compliant.
  • Venues must be liable for rates as set out in the Valuation Act 2001, as amended.
• Events must meet the following criteria:
  • Funding must be used to hold events showcasing the talent of emerging, grassroots artists performing live/electronic music they have written/created themselves.
  • Events must be ticketed.
  • All artists must be paid.
  • All freelance crew hired in respect of a supported event must be paid.
  • Events must be held at night-time beginning from 6pm at the earliest.
  • There is no minimum or maximum number of events that can be held.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Festivals (with the exception of a new grassroots music festival held in an established grassroots music venue, where the venue is the grant applicant, and the festival is not in receipt of funding from any other external source.)
• Hotel bars
• Sporting venues
• Third level colleges, ETBs, or schools
• Publically funded venues e.g. arts centres
• Private residences
• Existing grantees of D/TCAGSM schemes that are currently not in compliance with the Service Level Agreements issued and the associated drawdown procedures.
• Venues with a capacity over 500
• Venues which are not liable for rates as set out in the Valuation Act 2001, as amended

For more information, visit gov.ie.