Community Services Programme (CSP)

The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports community-based organisations to provide local services and create jobs for people who may face barriers to work.

It gives financial support to not-for-profit community companies and co-operatives to help with the cost of hiring staff.

The Community Services Programme is managed by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

CSP helps organisations in communities where services are limited due to:

• Geographical isolation
• Social isolation
• Low levels of demand from the public

It funds jobs for people who are often excluded from the labour market, including:

• People with disabilities
• Travellers
• People in recovery from drug misuse
• Ex-prisoners
• People who have been unemployed long-term

CSP provides a contribution towards wage costs for an agreed number of employees and a manager.

The organisation receiving the contribution is the employer. It is an independent company and must follow all employment laws.

The employer pays wages using the CSP contribution and their own funds to top up salaries.

Important to know

• CSP is not a labour market scheme, such as Community Employment (CE), Tús, or the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).
• If you are recruited by an organisation that receives CSP funding, you are employed on the open labour market in the same way as with any other employer.
• Any Social Welfare benefits are assessed on an individual basis. You can contact your local Intreo office to discuss your personal circumstances.

Funding rates are agreed with each organisation and are usually:

• €19,033 to €27,600 per employee
• €32,000 to €37,000 per manager

You can get more information about funding for local community staff.

To qualify, organisations must:

• Be a not-for-profit social enterprise or community business
• Deliver services that benefit the local community
• Employ and manage staff responsibly
• Have the financial resources and the ability to generate income and prepare a business plan.

CSP has 3 parts:

1 - Spaces and services
Supports organisations to make better use of community spaces or deliver services to increase inclusion and reduce disadvantage.

2 - Supporting individuals
Fund organisations that create jobs for specific groups and areas with high unemployment rates. Organisations will focus on:

• Helping people progress in their careers
• Offering skill development and training
• Connecting people with local support

3 - Innovation and Growth
Helps social enterprises to grow, become self-sufficient and promote new solutions to local problems, such as climate change or the green economy.

In general, 70% of employees funded under the programme must be from the following groups:

• Unemployed people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or One-Parent Family Payment
• Adults who are dependent on someone on a social welfare payment
• People getting Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Person’s Pension or other disability payment
• Travellers
• Ex-prisoners or people with a criminal conviction engaged with the probation service
• People who are stabilised and in recovery from drug misuse
• People coming from Tús, Community Employment (CE), Job Initiative schemes, as well as Rural Social Scheme workers
• Migrants
• Refugees
• Asylum seekers
• Roma
• People who are deserted, separated, divorced, or widowed, and are getting certain social welfare benefits
• Carers returning to work
• People who are homeless
• Ukrainians displaced by the war

The CSP is currently not open for new applicants. If your enterprise is interested in joining CSP in the future, you can register your interest with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. Send your details to csp@drcd.gov.ie.

You can get more information on the CSP (pdf) and learn how to apply on the Pobal website.