Deadline: 24-Feb-23
Rethink Ireland is delighted to welcome applications to the sixth year of its trailblazing €4.4m Social Enterprise Development Fund (2018 – 2023) in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Dormant Accounts Fund.
This Fund focuses on continued seed funding for start-up social enterprises, elevated funding for enterprises at the next stage and offering a business course across all Local Authority regions in Ireland.
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 2023, 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
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Meet the definition of social enterprise as outlined above
- 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 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
Who is not eligible to apply?
- A person who is younger than 18.
- Any staff member from Rethink Ireland, IPB Insurance and Department of Rural and Community Development staff, Directors and their family members. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children.
- Any consultant currently working with Rethink Ireland
- Commercial companies, sole traders and individuals
- Government/statutory agencies. If your project or organisation receives some funding from a state agency you are still eligible to apply.
- Individuals, statutory or public bodies, local development companies, LEADER companies, companies limited by shares, and organisations that are funded 100% by state bodies or agencies and continue to be in receipt of that funding.
- Past awardees that have been recipients of cash grants are ineligible, except where they are the parent organisation and the project is entirely different.
For more information, visit Rethink Ireland.