Submit Applications for 2020 Social Enterprise Development Fund

Deadline: 6 March 2020

Social Innovation Fund is seeking applications for its Social Enterprise Development Fund 2020 with an aim to find and back social enterprises that add to the social and economic fabric of their community by way of social impact.

The Social Enterprise Development Fund is a €3.2 million Fund which will be delivered over four years: 2018 – 2022. The fund was created by Social Innovation Fund Ireland (SIFI) in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development.

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 their social impact.
Increase their traded income.
Create more jobs.
Develop long-term, effective and sustainable solutions.

Funding Information

In 2020, the Fund offers up to 16 awardees:

Cash grants
- In 2020, the Fund will support up to 16 social enterprises with cash grants and a place on the Accelerator Programme.
- Two social enterprises will receive a cash grant of €50,000 each.
- Two social enterprises will receive a cash grant of €30,000 each.
- Two social enterprises will receive a cash grant of €20,000 each.
- Up to ten social enterprises will receive a cash grant of €10,000 each.
Places on the Accelerator Programme
The Genesis Programme will provide support to select social enterprises who do not receive a cash grant. The attendees for the programme will be selected across Ireland, ensuring that the Social Enterprise Development Fund offers support to social enterprises in every Local Authority area.

Eligibility Criteria

The Fund is seeking applications from social enterprises that:
- Have a clear social mission that addresses a critical social issue.
- Generate income from goods or services.
- Are already up and running.
- Reinvest any surplus into achieving their mission.
- Have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. companies limited guarantee.
- Are separate from the Government and state agencies.
- Have their main impact in the Republic of Ireland.
Key criteria
- The key criteria that applicants will need to demonstrate are:
  - How does the social enterprise impact a critical social issue.
  - How the social enterprise is (or has the potential to be) a sustainable business generating traded income from goods or services.
Advantageous criteria
- The applications will also be assessed on how well they demonstrate that the Social Enterprise:
  - Is innovative in an Irish context.
  - Has the potential to scale or replicate in Ireland.
  - Has the potential to create additional jobs.
Other criteria
- The Social Enterprise Development Fund will accept applications from:
  - Social enterprises.
  - Social enterprises that sit within larger not-for-profit organisations, such as charities and voluntary organisations.