Irish Central Border Area Network

Building a Stronger Central Border Region

Driving collaboration, prosperity and sustainability across the Central Border Region of Ireland / Northern Ireland.

About us

Years of Cross-Border Impact

About us

Driving Cross-Border Collaboration Since 1995

The Irish Central Border Area Network Ltd., or ICBAN for short, is the Cross‐Border partnership for the Central Border Region. Formed in 1995, ICBAN was established to promote cross‐border co‐operation and communication at a Local Government level on common regional development concerns. Our aim is to improve the quality of life and prosperity of the Central Border Region.

ICBAN’s role is to help address these challenges and take advantage of opportunities and does so by facilitating economic, enviro and social development working, through:

Developing and delivering common projects and initiatives;
Providing leadership and continuing to advocate for the sustainable growth and development of the area.

To date the organisation has delivered over 100 cross-border projects and initiatives, worth a total investment of €100 million. The new projects profiled here under the PEACEPLUS programme, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), provide for an investment of €40 million.

Discover More About us

Our Projects

Delivering Impact Across the Central Border Region

Stay informed with the latest project updates, funding announcements, partnership initiatives and regional developments from ICBAN and our cross-border partners.

View Current Projects Explore Past Projects

Lead Partner

DS³

DS³ (Smart Towns and Villages) Project

DS³ is a strategic investment in digital services, digital supports, and digital spaces, to modernise, grow and future-proof a cluster of challenged towns and villages in the Central Border Region.

View Project

Lead Partner

FLOW

For the Love of our Waters: A water quality and catchment management project

A €5.16 million cross-border environmental initiative led by ICBAN, focused on improving water quality across four priority catchments including Lough Melvin, Lough MacNean, the Cladagh / Swanllinbar River and the Kilroosky Lake Cluster.

View Project

Lead Partner

Reconciliation Fund Projects

Navigating the challenges in cross-border cooperation

ICBAN has been delivering a number of innovative projects with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund.

View Project

Project Partner

GEMINI

Geothermal Momentum on the Island of Ireland

A €20 million project led by CODEMA, focused on promoting opportunities for geo-thermal energy on the island of Ireland.

View Project

Project Partner

GRASP

Green Accelerator Skills Programme

A €9.8 million programme led by South West College, addressing green skills shortages within the cross-border construction sector.

View Project

Project Partner

BRIDGE

Building Resilient Institutions for Development, Governance and Engagement

A €1.34million cross-border initiative led by East Border Region, strengthening leadership, governance and institutional capacity across border local authorities.

View Project

View Current Projects Explore Past Projects

Our Member Councils

Our aim is to improve the quality of life and prosperity of the Central Border Region

The Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) is a cross-border partnership supporting sustainable regional development through collaboration, leadership and innovation.

The partnership covers eight member Council areas across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, all of which share many common characteristics and strengths, including a distinctive natural environment, strong cultural heritage, high quality of life, and a network of vibrant towns and villages. The region also benefits from committed educational institutions actively engaging with local industry.

The map shows the area of the Central Border Region, broken down into the 8 member Council areas. Please click on these to learn more about the particular Council areas.

News & Insights

News & Updates from Across the Central Border Region

Stay informed with the latest project updates, funding announcements, partnership initiatives and regional developments from ICBAN and our cross-border partners.

View All News