Free Paint Up for Grabs: Cork's Community Grant Scheme Returns for 2026

Cork County Council and Cork City Council have opened applications for the 2026 Relove Paint Community Paint Grant Scheme, offering community groups, sports clubs, and schools up to 25 litres of recycled, high-quality paint at no cost.

Now in its fifth year, the scheme supported 166 groups in 2025, supplying more than 2,700 litres of upcycled paint to organisations across both city and county. Participation has grown year on year, with groups ranging from Tidy Towns committees to sports clubs using the resource for improvement works.

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, welcomed the launch, saying:

"Cork County Council was delighted that, last year, 166 groups, including Tidy Towns organisations, community associations, sports clubs, and schools across the county, received over 2,700 litres of high-quality, upcycled paint. The willingness of these groups to champion the initiative and share their positive experiences has played an important role in raising awareness and strengthening public confidence in the use of upcycled paint."

Groups can apply for up to 25 litres free of charge, with additional quantities available to purchase at €15 per 5-litre bucket. The paint provided is predominantly internal water-based, with limited quantities of external paint also available.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, also backed the scheme, adding:

"The Relove Paint Community Paint Grant Scheme is an opportunity to enhance circular economy initiatives within the city while allowing a cost-effective, high-quality paint product to be accessed by local communities. The feedback from last year's recipients was overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting the high quality of the paint which helped revitalise community buildings, sports clubs, and schools."

Relove Paint is delivered through a partnership between Cork County Council, Cork City Council, and three local social enterprises: Cycle Sense, IRD Duhallow Furniture Revamp, and Northside Community Enterprises. These organisations collect unused paint from Cork civic amenity sites, remix and recolour it, and redistribute it as an affordable product.

To date, more than 50 tonnes of paint have been diverted from incineration and reused locally. Nationally, nine paint-reuse social enterprises now operate across Ireland, supported by 11 local authorities and 27 civic amenity sites, collectively diverting over 100 tonnes of paint from incineration.

Relove Paint can also be purchased directly from Cycle Sense in Skibbereen, IRD Duhallow in Newmarket, and NCE's Paul Street Hub in Cork City. Members of the public are encouraged to bring leftover paint to their nearest recycling centre.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 10 April 2026. Applicants should have a specific project or area ready to paint. For more information and to apply, visit www.relovepaint.ie.