A minimum of ten participants must be enrolled for a TES funded CPD event to proceed and receive funding, however exceptions can be made for smaller TGAs, but only with prior approval. So, if you are trying to build up a new branch, or you know a particular area will not get the ten required teachers but are looking for CPD, you can always contact, prior to the event, the TPN Administrator to request approval to hold the event. You can still claim TPN funding if you can prove that you were expecting ten or more teachers to attend (there may have been some last minute cancellations), by showing the booking list from your website.
Let’s see an example:
Let’s imagine you organised an event in Kerry but only six people attend, and your tutor had to travel all the way from, say, Donegal, at a cost of €250 for travel, plus €167 for subsistence, plus two hours lecturing and photocopying for 20 people. So you have a cost of around €500. Problem is, because there was no information regarding the bookings, you won’t be able to claim TPN for it (no funding for less than ten teachers attending). BUT if your TGA took bookings you would know how many teachers had shown an interest and if the course would go ahead:
Case A: 15 registered, 17 attended, attendance roll and claims dealt with, payments processed;
Case B: 15 registered, 4 attended, and still everything else would be paid – no fault of your group;
Case C: only 7 teachers registered, either you cancel the event or go ahead with it but at your own expenses.