Rethink Ireland launches Engage and Educate Fund 2021

Deadline: 2-Jun-21

The Rethink Ireland is accepting applications for its Engage and Educate Fund to empower marginalized and disadvantaged communities through Education.

The objective of the Fund is to back innovative projects that empower young people and adults through education, enabling people from marginalized communities to access game-changing education programmes.

The Engage & Educate Fund aims to work with organisations that empower young people and adults through education and break the negative cycle of poverty through education. The COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gap in educational opportunities between different socioeconomic classes and is deepening the negative impact on young people and adults who have left the education system early or are at risk of doing so.

Funding Information

There will be up to 5 awards available in total, and each Awardee will receive a cash grant (to a maximum of €50,000), mentoring support and placement on Rethink Ireland’s three-year capacity building programme.

What does the Fund Offer?

Cash grants up to €50,000 each year across three years
A business supports package
A place on our three-year capacity building programme
Project performance management

Eligibility Criteria

This fund is open to organizations that have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. charity, social enterprise and other voluntary organizations.
Projects must meet both Rethink Ireland’s criteria and the specific criteria for The Engage and Educate Fund, as set out below:
Rethink Ireland Criteria
- The project must address a critical social or environmental issue
- The project must be innovative in an Irish context
- The project must be based in the Republic of Ireland
- The project must have the potential and desire to scale or replicate in Ireland
- The project must provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way
- Applicants must come from an entity that has a ‘not for profit’ legal form for example, a charity or voluntary organization
Engage and Educate Core Criteria
- The project must address the issue of educational disadvantage* and seek to improve educational outcomes for people in the following age groups:
  - Secondary school age (12-18)
  - Young adults (19-24)
  - Adults (25-64)
The project must focus on enhancing educational attainment for young people and adults in one or more of the following groups:
- People experiencing poverty or socio-economic disadvantage
- Traveller and Roma people
- Migrant people, (including people in need of international protection)
- People from minority ethnic communities
- People with disabilities
Advantageous criteria
- Projects that work with young people and adults from marginalized groups who leave school early
- Projects which have evidence of sustained impact
- Projects that employ a holistic approach – whole community involvement
- Involves target groups in the project design
- Clear short term & medium goals