The Waters and Communities Special Award, co-sponsored by the Local Authority Waters Programme, Waterways Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), is now open for applications. This special award has been a regular feature in the main SuperValu TidyTowns competition since 2017.
The Waters and Communities Special Award welcomes applications that showcase how Tidy Towns groups have promoted and championed water stewardship in their local waterbody – a local stream, river, estuary, canal, lake, beach or coastal area. In particular, this special award encourages initiatives where the naturalness of the waterbody is protected or enhanced through the work of a Tidy Towns group.
To make an application visit: Waters and Communities Award – TidyTowns Competition 2026 | Online Consultation Portal of the Waters and Communities Office
The closing date for applications is 8th June 2026 at 5pm.
Speaking about the 2026 competition, Director of Services for LAWPRO, Anthony Coleman said: “Along with our co-sponsors we once again welcome applications for the SuperValu TidyTowns Waters and Communities Special Award. Community engagement in water quality is a central part of the Local Authority Waters Programme’s work and this special award is an annual highlight for the organisation. Tidy Towns groups across the country are undertaking tremendous work to improve all aspects of their local communities and the Waters and Communities Special Award is a great way to recognise and showcase the groups committed to protecting and restoring their local waterbodies.”
Tidy Towns groups can demonstrate a range of community initiatives along their local waterbodies such as protecting natural river riparian corridors, reducing or eliminating grassland herbicide usage, protecting wetlands, organising litter picks, conservation activities related to biodiversity and heritage, awareness raising activities such as aquatic citizen science events, promotion of angling and water-based activities, and other actions which generate water stewardship.
Applications that demonstrate innovations in nature-based solutions to address local problems or promote protection of high-status objective or Blue Dot waters, are particularly encouraged.
John Mc Donagh, CEO of Waterways Ireland welcomed the competition: “The Waters and Communities Award keeps reminding us what is possible when local people take ownership of their rivers, lakes and canals. Year after year, the entries show communities doing remarkable things; protecting habitats, involving young people and creating awareness about these important natural resources. These are not top-down initiatives; they come from people who genuinely care about the places they live. We are looking forward to seeing what communities across Ireland submit this year.“
Commenting on the launch, Lynda Connor, South-Eastern Director for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) said: “IFI is delighted to be involved in the competition with our other co-sponsors. Over the years the competition has highlighted some of the best water stewardship among TidyTowns groups in Ireland. We look forward to assessing the entries in this year’s competition.”
A panel of judges appointed by the three partners, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland, and the Local Authority Waters Programme, will assess each application under the following headings:
- Awareness raising (15 Marks)
- Community involvement (20 Marks)
- Stakeholder engagement (15 Marks)
- Project benefits (40 Marks)
- Highlights to share (10 Marks)
The Waters and Communities Special Award is open to all community groups. The three partners are committed to the success of this award and provide an annual prize fund of €7,000, which is divided across the four regions (South West, Midlands and East, South East and Northwest & West) as part of the TidyTowns competition. The overall award winner receives €2,000 to support their local project or initiative.
Read more about previous winners of the Waters and Communities Special Awards.
Learn more about the TidyTowns Special Award.