Celebration event marks completion of £7m Connecting Pomeroy project
03/06/2024
PEACE IV
£10m PEACEPLUS Funding Boost to Improve Digital Connectivity, Services and Support in Disconnected Rural Communities
Monday, 30 September 2024
2.4 Smart Towns and Villages
More than £10m of PEACEPLUS funding has been awarded to transform underused buildings into digital hubs, improve cyber skills and maximise technology to bring people together in rural areas across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
Three projects have been successful in securing investment which will support thousands of residents, businesses and voluntary organisations, with initiatives designed to close the ICT gap in rural areas, foster economic growth and influence policy.
The projects awarded funding – Mini Digi Hubs, STRIDE and DS3 – will support the Smart Towns and Villages investment area, which promotes socio-economic inclusion of marginalised communities, low-income households and disadvantaged groups, including people with additional needs, through integrated actions, including the deployment of digital infrastructure and upskilling courses for SMEs and citizens.
PEACEPLUS is a €1.14bn programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Andrew Muir MLA of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said: “Collaboration and cross-border working are key to supporting rural communities where people want to live, work and be active in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.
“Connectivity is an essential requirement to achieve this desired outcome, and therefore the creation of Smart Towns and Villages presents an exciting opportunity to increase access to and awareness of telecommunications.
“I am pleased my department is working in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development in the Republic of Ireland and SEUPB in providing funding for this investment area under the PEACEPLUS programme.
“I hope to meet with each of the successful projects to learn more about their innovation-based solutions and the positive impact they anticipate this funding will have in local rural communities now and in the future.”
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said: “I am delighted that a further €13m in funding is approved for projects under the PEACEPLUS Programme.
“These projects will be supported under the Smart Towns and Villages Investment Area and will promote the socio-economic inclusion of marginalised and disadvantaged individuals and communities, while also supporting the repopulation and economic development of rural towns and villages. It will contribute to local and national recovery while also enabling people to live and work in a high quality environment, which is what Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy is all about.
“I am very pleased that my Department of Rural and Community Development will be partnering with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and the Special EU Programmes Body in providing this much needed funding for these fantastic projects.
“I wish all the success applicants the very best of luck in getting their projects underway, which will be of benefit to all in the future through addressing the digital divide and enhancing the delivery of social services within rural communities through the use of Information Communications Technology.”
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Congratulations to the three truly innovative and transformative projects awarded PEACEPLUS funding today.
“Promoting socio-economic inclusion is crucial within the PEACEPLUS programme and our Smart Towns and Villages investment area is designed to target and address specific needs using modern technology.
“PEACEPLUS will support the creation of jointly developed solutions for Smart Towns and Villages, to incorporate digital hubs, which will enable remote working and ICT-themed social innovation approaches to developing new models of delivery for key services, including health and education.
“This will provide greater access to and awareness of telecommunications, with an area-based approach taken to enable communities to maximise technology to improve social and economic conditions in their areas.”
This funding announcement represents an investment under the PEACEPLUS theme of Delivering Socio-Economic Regeneration and Transformation.
It is aimed at creating space for the social economy and entrepreneurship to play a key role in the development of communities and lead to a more peaceful and prosperous society.
The successful projects in this funding round are:
- Mini Digi Hubs project aims to address the digital divide in rural communities and foster economic growth. It plans to revitalise the East Border Region by delivering two jointly developed solutions, transforming five underused public buildings into Digital Hubs as well as creating a Mobile Digital Lab, which will bring digital resources to those in remote rural areas. The project will consist of one lead partner, East Border Region, and six project partners - Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT); Monaghan County Council; Newry, Mourne and Down District Council; Meath County Council; Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, as well as Ards and North Down Borough Council. Mini Digi Hubs aims to engage a total of 18,264 participants throughout the lifetime of the project. The proposed project aims to bridge the digital gap, spur economic growth, promote inclusivity and balance regional development.
- The SMART Rural Innovation Driven Empowerment Programme (STRIDE) project will be led by South West College, working in partnership with Ulster University, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Atlantic Technological University Sligo and Leitrim County Enterprise Fund, and Alacrity. Providing additional support and guidance in delivery of this proposal will be Leitrim County Council, acting in an Associate Partner role. The project seeks to deliver and implement one jointly developed solution in supporting rural communities to use ICT in identifying challenges and developing solutions to these. This data will also support engaging with policy makers and other statutory authorities, providing opportunity to influence future decision making.
- The DS3 project will engage SMEs, micro businesses, community and voluntary organisations and citizens in a variety of activities which will help close the ICT skills gap in rural communities. The project will be carried out in towns and villages with a population of less than 18,000 across seven council areas. These seven council areas include Leitrim; Sligo; Cavan; Mid Ulster; Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; Donegal; and Monaghan. Project activities included in DS3 include one-to-one mentoring, workshops, networking events, mobile labs, creation and deployment of a digital platform, and development of three Smart Town Frameworks. The Irish Central Border Area Network Ltd will act as the lead partner for this project in conjunction with six other partners and four associate partners.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
