Public Service Innovation Fund 2021 to support Innovative Ideas (Ireland)

Deadline: 24-Feb-21

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) is seeking applications to fund innovative projects or stages of projects and initiatives in public service organisations under the Public Service Innovation Fund.

The Public Service Innovation Fund is a competitive fund that aims to support innovative ideas from across public service organizations and turn them into a reality. It is important that projects have a strong focus on outcomes and impact. There should also be a focus on scalability, transferability and learning within the Public Service. Collaboration between public service organizations is encouraged.

They are looking to help fund projects that:

Help add value to your organization or sector and make what you do better for the user/public;
Demonstrate new ways of working that help deliver your organization’s strategic outcomes;
Implement approaches and ideas that can be spread elsewhere or help to create learnings for other public servants from experimentation;
Encourage cross-organizational or cross-silo working and show commitment from your organization to innovation;
Use evidence, insights, and data to drive innovation or seek to create evidence and data for future innovations.

Funding Information

In 2021, the minimum level of funding available per individual proposal is €25,000 up to a maximum of €60,000.

Types of Projects Being Sought

Applications are being sought in relation to projects or initiatives that feature some or all of the following characteristics:

Value, Outcomes and User Impact: Initiatives and projects are sought that can bring greater value to your organization or sector and/or make public services more impactful for the user.
Novelty: Novelty means new to your organization or area of work and should not be confused with ‘invention’ which means new to the world (although the invention is welcomed too.
Transferability, Scalability and Learning: This innovation fund seeks to further embed a culture of innovation and knowledge-sharing across the public service. Projects that have the potential to transfer/scale will help to drive learning and encourage change.
Collaboration with Other Organizations: Collaboration and/or involvement of other public, private or voluntary bodies/organizations are encouraged.
Evidence-Base: Projects and initiatives should, amongst other things, seek to improve a situation, tackle a challenge or exploit an opportunity, solve (or contribute to solving) a known problem, address a currently unmet need or create the evidence base to investigate whether a problem exists.

Eligibility Criteria

The scheme is open to Irish Public Service Bodies only.
A public service body includes any statutory body or company or body corporate (or subsidiary) established and financed wholly or partly by a Minister (whether by share issue or guaranteed loan or money provided) in respect of which a public service pension scheme exists or applies or may be made.

Evaluation Criteria

First-Stage Evaluation
- If they consider that your application meets the conditions, it will then be forwarded to first-stage evaluation which consists of a panel of evaluators from across the public service and possibly the private sector.
- The following assessment criteria will be used by the panel to evaluate your proposal.
  - Novelty (30 marks);
  - Value, outcomes, and user impact (30 marks);
  - Transferability, Scalability, and learning (10 marks);
  - Collaboration with other organisations (10 marks);
  - Evidence-base for application (10 marks);
  - Procurement plan and contribution of the recipient organisation (10 marks).
Final-Stage Evaluation
- On the basis of the first-stage evaluation, a number of projects will be shortlisted and will move to final-stage evaluation.
- The final-stage evaluation will consist of a panel of senior experts from the public service and possibly the private sector. This Evaluation Board will make the decision on the portfolio of projects to be funded and the decision of the Board is final.