Social Enterprise Development Fund 2022 – 2023 in Ireland

Deadline: 03-Mar-22

Rethink Ireland is delighted to announce the continuation of its Social Enterprise Development Fund with an additional investment of €1.2 million sets to be awarded from 2022-2023.

The Social Enterprise Development Fund was created in 2018 by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and supported by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Dormant Accounts Fund.

IPB Insurance is an Irish-owned general insurance company which protects and supports their local authority members and their communities across Ireland.

Objectives

The objective of the Fund is to find and back social enterprises that add to the social and economic fabric of their community by way of social impact.
The Fund will provide critical support to the most innovative and impactful social enterprises across Ireland, helping them to:
- Increase or establish their social impact
- Increase their traded income or set up to create traded income
- Create (more) jobs
- Develop long-term, effective and sustainable solutions.

Funding Information

In 2022, the fund offers (up to) 8 Awardees an Awards package of €30,000:
- Cash grants for up to 8 Awardees of €22,500
- A Business Support budget worth €7,500
- A place on the Accelerator Programme
Up to 8 Social Enterprises will receive a package of supports worth a maximum of €30,000 each in total. This will include cash grants of €22,500, paid in two instalments upon delivery of agreed milestones.
In addition, Awardees will receive a budget for business supports worth €7,500 each. Business supports will be tailored to the specific needs of each project and carried out by approved consultants, focusing on creating social impact in line with their theory of change and strategic plan.

Eligibility Criteria

They invite applications from social enterprises that:
- Meet the definition of social enterprise as outlined
- Have a clear social mission that addresses a critical social issue
- Generate income from goods or services
- Have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. companies limited by guarantee
- Are separate from the Government and state agencies
- Reinvest any surplus into achieving their mission
- Are already up and running
- Have their main impact in the Republic of Ireland
- Have not previously completed a multi-year Fund with Rethink Ireland
- Have the potential to scale or replicate in Ireland
- Have the potential to create additional jobs
- And are innovative in an Irish context
- Social enterprises can sit within larger not-for-profit organisations, such as charities and voluntary organisations
For the Start a Social Enterprise Business Course
- They invite applications from
  - Individuals with an idea for a social enterprise
  - Members of unincorporated groups undertaking work at a local level
  - Staff within organisations who want to explore the establishment of a social enterprise within their organisation