Deadline: 30-Sep-2025
The RAISE Programme has been launched with the goal of improving educational achievement and reducing educational disadvantage through a comprehensive, place-based approach that involves entire communities.
By focusing on specific localities across Northern Ireland, the programme seeks to tackle the root causes of educational inequality and ensure that children and young people have the support they need to succeed academically.
Organisations are invited to submit project proposals that align with the key educational priorities identified in the RAISE Strategic Area Plans. These plans outline tailored strategies for each locality, ensuring that interventions are responsive to local needs and grounded in evidence. The programme is designed not only to raise achievement but also to raise aspirations, recognising that educational success depends on both opportunity and mindset, and that a whole-community approach is crucial to achieving lasting change.
RAISE is structured around two main components: Locality Led Projects and Cross-Cutting Initiatives. Locality Led Projects will focus on addressing the unique challenges within specific communities, while Cross-Cutting Initiatives will deliver broader programmes that support multiple localities, creating shared solutions and enhancing collaboration. This dual approach allows the programme to target deeply rooted local barriers while also delivering wider systemic improvements across Northern Ireland.
To identify the localities most in need, the Department used a robust, data-driven methodology. Super Output Areas were assessed against seven key indicators: free school meal entitlement, Special Educational Needs, pupil attendance, GCSE attainment, and three Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation measures—income deprivation affecting children, health deprivation and disability, and crime and anti-social behaviour. These indicators were developed and validated in consultation with a stakeholder reference group, ensuring they reflect the complex and varied barriers that children and young people face in education.
Through this targeted and collaborative approach, the RAISE Programme aims to transform educational outcomes and create long-term positive change for communities across Northern Ireland.
For more information, visit Department of Education.
