Ireland Festivals Investment Scheme 2027 Round 2: Up to €45,000 for Visual and Film Arts Festivals
An Ireland-based festival programme with a November deadline
The Arts Council of Ireland is currently accepting Round 2 applications for its Festivals Investment Scheme 2027. It supports small-to-medium-sized arts festivals to deliver high-quality experiences for local communities or defined communities of interest. A qualifying festival featuring visual arts, independent film, photographic exhibitions, digital installations, or interdisciplinary artistic presentation may examine the scheme if it meets the Council's eligibility requirements. The maximum funding request is €45,000, not a standard amount offered to every festival. This article focuses on Aion Laboratory's visual and media-art audiences; the corresponding music-festival aspect is already documented separately on the music site.
The organisation rather than an individual artist applies
The grant's application type is an organisation, with published guidance describing eligible festival organisations and the need for programmes relevant to Irish audiences. It is not a personal bursary for a filmmaker to attend any international festival, nor general seed money to set up an unrelated overseas commercial fair. Applicants should demonstrate their organisation's artistic mandate, prior activities and governance, the festival location and programme, financial viability and relationships to communities. Precise legal, not-for-profit, grant-history and organisational location conditions must be checked in the 2027 Round 2 guidelines. International guest artists can participate within an eligible Irish festival, but that does not remove the organiser's local obligations.
Funding that serves an artistic programme
The Council describes the scheme as strengthening the artistic value and public relevance of a festival. A digital-arts festival might include artist fees, accessible exhibitions, community learning, artist talks, screenings and installations, subject to eligible-cost rules. The proposal should show artistic programming beyond a generic commercial event, carefully considered access arrangements and a feasible budget. An arts organisation should not simply request the maximum €45,000 without explaining other income, costs and the impact of the proposed activities. A festival combining art forms should choose the Council-supported art practice most central to its programme.
Applications open now: 19 November 2026 closing time
This is not a future call: the scheme opened on 20 October 2026 and remains open until 19 November 2026 at 17:30 Ireland time. The official programme page provides 2027 Round 2 guidelines in both PDF and DOC format, plus a Festival Development Plan template, a Memorandum of Understanding template and disability access costs documentation. The Arts Council's online application system is the mandatory submission route. Applicants should review the guidance, register, prepare budgets and partner agreements and submit before the closing time rather than assuming a festival concept note alone will be processed.
The public funding body's record and checks
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon is the Irish national public arts agency and has many years of festival investment activity. Its website explains assessment procedures, offers an online information clinic and displays examples of supported local festivals. The programme's published list of required documentation helps applicants assess the legitimacy of the call. Award decisions are competitive and depend on current budgets and review. Before sending business finances, festival-programme information or personal identification, verify the 2027-specific rules, grant maximum, costs and current deadline on the organiser's official website.
Official programme and application details
Important: check current official terms
This independently written article summarises, edits and explains a third-party open call. Conditions, eligibility, application dates and costs may change, and errors or delays in interpretation are possible. Before applying, paying fees or sharing identity or business data, always check the official organising body's current eligibility, deadline, permitted expenditure, full rules and secure application link. Official terms take priority if any detail differs.