To ask the Minister for the Economy whether, considering the scale of the Foyle Cup and its impact on tourism in the region, his Department can ensure that the 2022/23 sponsorship scheme from Tourism NI will fund the event at, or above, the 2019 level to enable the organisers to budget and plan for next year’s event.

Tourism NI recognises the positive tourism and broader economic contribution that the Foyle Cup brings to Northern Ireland.

In 2019, Tourism NI awarded £30,000 of sponsorship funding to Derry & District Youth Football Association under its National Tourism Events Sponsorship Scheme (NTESS) to stage the Foyle Cup. The award of £30,000 was the highest amount available to a single event under the parameters of the NTESS that year.

It is not possible to commit to, or ensure, a specific level of funding to the organisers of the Foyle Cup in 2023. The NTESS operates annually through a competitive, open call process. Each year, each application is considered on its merits and how the event contributes towards the objectives of the scheme. Funding awarded is dependent upon the strength of the proposal, the demand for funding and the budget available in that year.

The 2023/24 scheme is due to open in late November 2022. Applications will be assessed against the published criteria, with award outcomes expected to be known by late February 2023. I do hope that, despite the event organiser’s disappointment at their award in 2022/23, they will apply again when the scheme opens later in the year.