Deadline: 28-Nov-2025
Irish Aid is inviting applications for its Global Citizenship Education Grants Scheme, a key part of its 2021–2025 strategy to ensure that people in Ireland have access to quality, life long education that encourages them to become active global citizens.
The overarching goal of the strategy is to foster engagement with fairer and more sustainable global solutions through increased reach, accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of GCE in Ireland.
The GCE Grants Scheme supports projects in formal, non-formal, and informal education sectors. Funding is available for initiatives lasting between one and three years, with grant amounts ranging from a minimum of €10,000 to a maximum of €180,000 per year. These projects are expected to contribute to one or more of the strategy’s five priority areas: learner and community engagement, policy and curriculum development, institutional support, educator development, and awareness of Irish Aid’s global work.
Eligibility for the scheme is open to a wide range of organisations, including charities, social enterprises, educational institutions, trade unions, and cooperatives. Applicants must meet a number of requirements to ensure good governance and financial accountability. This includes being registered with either the Irish Charities Regulatory Authority or the Charities Commission of Northern Ireland for at least two years, or holding a valid Tax Clearance Certificate from the Revenue Commissioners.
Applicant organisations must demonstrate that they have a formal governance structure capable of managing Irish Aid funding, and they must publish independently audited accounts if their annual income exceeds €100,000. In addition, Irish Aid funding must not account for more than 90% of an organisation’s total income.
The grant is not generally open to organisations already receiving Irish Civil Society Programme funding or those designated as Strategic Partners of the GCE Unit, except in cases where co-funding for Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) is being sought.
Applicants must be actively engaged in delivering education initiatives that include a strong global citizenship perspective aimed at the Irish public. Those with a previous record of non-compliance with Irish Aid contracts will not be considered, and all organisations working with children and young adults under 18 must have child protection policies aligned with the Children First Act 2015.
This grants programme represents a vital opportunity for organisations committed to shaping a globally aware and socially responsible society in Ireland. With its strong focus on long-term impact and public engagement, the GCE strategy continues to invest in the people and partnerships driving global change through education.
For more information, visit Gov.ie.