This fund is open to organisations that have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, trust, charity and other voluntary organisations that meet the following criteria: 

Eligibility & Criteria 

Projects must meet both Rethink Ireland’s criteria and the specific criteria for the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0, as set out below: 

Rethink Ireland Criteria  

• The project must address a critical social issue  

• The project must be innovative in an Irish context 

• The project must be based on the island of Ireland and must make its main impact in the Republic of Ireland 

• The project must have potential and a desire to scale or replicate in Ireland (it may also have potential internationally, but this is not a requirement) 

• 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, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, charity and other not-for-profit legal forms 

Rethink Ireland defines a not-for-profit as any organisation whose constitution indicates it has public benefit purposes and is neither privately owned nor controlled by the State. 

The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 

Fund Criteria 

The fund has four strands. All four strands will support projects/organisations working directly with people with disabilities. Each of the four strands have a different focus, and different application criteria. To be successful, applicants must: 

• Work directly with or for disabled people; 

• Address one or more of the four strands of the fund; 

• Show your commitment to universal design and accessibility in programme delivery, communication and governance; and 

• Reflect the principles of equality, participation and lived experience in both leadership and practice. 

Strand 1: Supporting community, sports and physical participation: Funding projects/organisations that improve and encourage the accessibility of, and participation in, community life for disabled persons. 

To be successful in this strand, the project/organisation must be: 

• Working to provide increased opportunities for: 
  • fostering community participation and/or 
  • engagement in sporting activities/outdoor recreation and/or 
  • the promotion of accessibility.  
• Working to foster the awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities. 

Strand 2: Supporting arts and cultural activities, particularly those that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities and that support the participation of people with disabilities in artistic, cultural and community life. 

To be successful in this strand, the project/organisation must be: 

• Working to provide increased opportunities for participation in arts and cultural activities, including arts/cultural activities that foster awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities.  

• Working to foster the awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities.

Strand 3: Supporting social enterprise and not-for-profit initiatives to provide valuable employment experience or apprenticeships to people with disabilities. 

To be successful in this strand, the project/organisation must be: 

• Working to improve economic independence of people with disabilities by delivering tailored work experience/employment services. 

• Working to foster the awareness of the lived experiences of people with disabilities. 

Strand 4:  Supporting innovative projects that use animal-assisted approaches to promote inclusion, connection and wellbeing.  

To be successful in this strand, the project/organisation must: 

• Use evidence‑based, ethical animal‑assisted approaches. 

• Demonstrate strong impact on inclusion, connection and wellbeing of people with disabilities. 

Advantageous Criteria 

In addition to the above core criteria per strand, preference will be given to projects/organisations which focus on:  

• Multiple Impairments: Project/Organisations that focus on addressing the needs of people with multiple impairments or multiple types of disability. 

• Leadership Representation: Projects/Organisations that are led by persons with disability. 

• Partnership and Collaboration: Applications that demonstrate partnership across sectors or communities, particularly collaborations between disabled persons’ organisations and mainstream bodies, will be valued. 

• Green Transition: Organisations that have a positive effect on Ireland’s green transition through their activities/interventions. This criteria applies if the organisation tackles issues related to the environment and green transition, such as carbon reduction, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, pollution and/or the just transition. 

Which projects cannot apply? 

Projects that are not eligible to apply are: 

• Projects where research is the primary activity 

• Projects seeking to fund capital items – buildings, vans and equipment 

• Projects promoting or aligned with a political party 

• Projects that only accept participants of a particular faith or religious denomination 

• Projects focused on animal welfare 

• Projects based outside the Republic of Ireland 

• Projects led by people under 18 years of age 
• Projects that are an idea (only) and that have not yet started

Which applicants cannot apply? 

Applicants that are not eligible to apply are: 

• Applicants under 18 years of age 

• Commercial companies, sole traders and individuals 

• Any staff member from Rethink Ireland and their family members. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children. 

• Individuals 

• Statutory or public bodies, companies limited by shares that are not registered charities 

• Any consultant currently working with Rethink Ireland

Accessibility 

We have tried to make the application process as accessible as possible, but we understand that there may still be some difficulties for applicants. Please see the Plain English version here. If you have access needs or are struggling with the application form, please contact disabilityfund4@rethinkireland.ie.  

When are the online help sessions if I have any questions I need answered?  

Please join us for our application clinic to find out more and answer any questions that you have. The application clinics will be held on:  

• Thursday, 9 April at 1pm: Register Here  

• Wednesday, 15 April at 1pm: Register Here 

You will need to download the following document to complete your online application:  

Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Multi-Year Budget Template (compulsory)

The following forms may also help you complete your application:  

Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Application Form (for reference only) 
Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Webtext (Downloadable Version) (for reference only)
Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Management Accounts Template (If you do not already have management accounts)

Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Application Form Plain English Version (for reference only)  
Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 Webtext Plain English Version (for reference only)   

If my organisation has previously been in receipt of an award from Rethink Ireland, can I still apply? 

Yes. If you have previously been funded by Rethink Ireland, you can still apply. Previous awardees must be able to demonstrate they have performed well on a previous programme and capture in the application form how the new funding being applied for is a logical continuation from the original investment, fitting the new fund criteria in particular. 

If my organisation/project is currently in receipt of an award from Rethink Ireland, can I still apply? 

Projects on one of our funds that have cash grant payments remaining before the commencement of the new fund programme are not eligible to apply.  

Organisations on one of our funds that have cash grant payments remaining before the commencement of the new fund programme are still eligible to apply with a different project and different project lead. 

Is this just for large-scale, national organisations? 

No, it is not, and indeed we welcome applications from organisations of all sizes once it is a not-for-profit organisation with a legal form (see criteria above). 

Can I apply for this funding even though I am still at the ideation stage?  

Unfortunately, no, this fund needs to see proof that the project is up and running or at least has been tested and shown results in some way. 

Can organisations make multiple applications?  

Yes, there is nothing stopping your organisation from making more than one application for separate projects. However, you must note that applicants can apply for one strand only per project with a different person leading the second project. However, due to the competitive nature of this fund and its selection process, it is very unlikely that we will fund more than one project from any organisation. We encourage organisations to submit one strong application rather than multiple applications. 

If my organisation is funded by a government/state agency (HSE, TULSA etc) are we eligible?  

Yes, you can apply if you are in receipt of funding from a government or state agency. However, if more than 50 percent of your board is nominated by the government your organisation is ineligible for funding. 

Is it possible for organisations to collaborate in an application (e.g. a community development organisation and an educational provider)? 

They can, but one organisation is required to take the lead. Please note that if your application is successful, the lead applicant will be required to sign a contract and fulfil all legal obligations associated with the project’s performance. Please always refer to the eligibility criteria to ensure your project is eligible for funding. 

Any further questions? 

You can contact the fund team at disabilityfund4@rethinkireland.ie if you would like more information. 

• Cash grants ranging from €50,000 to €200,000 during the year, across 12 months 

• A business supports package 

• A place on our capacity-building accelerator programme 

• Project performance management 

• Access to Rethink Ireland’s networks 

 What can cash grants be spent on?  

The cash grant must be spent on the project that won the award and must be ring-fenced for the work you are undertaking. The specific use of the cash grant will be agreed between Rethink Ireland and the awardee. 

The funding may be used to cover operations/staff costs, but you must be able to demonstrate in your application how this is facilitating you to run the project that you are applying for. Cash grants may not be used to pay off debts or for capital items such as renovations, or for vehicles, land, buildings or large equipment.  

What non-financial supports will be provided to successful applicants? 

Rethink Ireland’s non-financial supports have been called our ‘secret sauce’ that helps projects to really develop their capacity and sustainability, in addition to the benefit of the cash supports. Non-financial supports will include: 

1. Each awardee’s project lead and potentially other relevant staff will take part in the fund’s Accelerator Programme. The Accelerator programme will consist of a series of interactive training workshops on topics such as strategy development, measuring and maximising your impact, communications and storytelling, diversity and inclusion and fundraising. 
2. Awardees will also get some bespoke 1:1 business and capacity-building supports from expert business/non-profit consultants in areas such as impact management, theory of change and strategy development. Supports will be designed in consultation with the successful projects. 
3. Awardees will also get access to Rethink Ireland’s networks and have the opportunity to develop networks and contacts with the other awardees of the fund, which are often very valuable in the longer term. 

What is expected of awardees? 

The project lead will be expected to take part in the twelve-month Accelerator Programme, which includes attending approximately 6 workshops and spending time working 1:1 with a business/strategy consultant. Project leads will be expected to spend a minimum of two days per week working on the awarded project and working towards agreed goals.

What is involved in completing the application form? 

The application form asks you for information about: 

• Your project and organisation 

• The problem your project tackles 

• What makes your project different from others 

• Who it benefits 

• How your project meets the fund conditions 

• How you test or evaluate how well your project is doing  

• Referees 

• Other details 

• It also asks you to send us financial documents (listed below) and a short video about your project (this is optional). 

What kind of video do we need to submit? (Optional)

Don’t worry – you don’t need to produce a high quality or expensive video. You can use a smartphone or tablet. We just want to hear you telling the story of your project in 2-3 mins max. Please tell us:   

• Who you are 

• Why you are applying for the award 

• The problem/issue your project is trying to solve 

• How you will do that  

• How your solution is innovative or creative

You can then upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo. You can insert the URL link in the application form. 

What financial information do we need to submit with our application? 

1. The documents you need to complete depend on whether you are applying in relation to a project within an organisation or you are applying as an organisation as a whole:
   • If applying for a project within a larger organisation, the project’s management accounts and the organisation’s most recent audited/full accounts are needed. 
   • If applying for an organisation as a whole, the most recent audited/full accounts are needed.
2. All applicants must outline how they intend to use the funds from Rethink Ireland if successful and upload a proposed budget. A spreadsheet template is provided in the relevant section of the application form. 

How do we upload our project budget (planned income and expenditure)? 

In the relevant section of the application form, you will be provided with a link to a budget template in Excel. Please click on the link provided and DOWNLOAD this document to your computer. Fill in your financial information and save the document with your project’s name, then upload it in the relevant section of the application form.  

Accessibility 

We have tried to make the application process as accessible as possible but we understand that there may still be some difficulties for applicants. If you have access needs or are struggling with the application form, please contact disabilityfund4@rethinkireland.ie. 

What happens after we submit our application? 

1. Applications will go through a rigorous selection process (for more information see below). 
2. Interviews will take place online during late May to early June 2026. If you are invited to an interview, you will be informed in early May. 
3. Successful applicants will be informed in September/October 2026 *  
4. The cash grants will be delivered in two parts – one at the beginning and one mid-way, and are tied to agreed performance milestones.  
5. The accelerator programme will run for approximately 12 months from November 2026 to October 2027* 
6. The non-financial supports (accelerator programme and bespoke 1:1 support) will be designed in consultation with the awardees and reflect organisational/project needs. 
7. The fund will close in October 2027. The project goals should be completed by the end of October, and the evaluation period runs until January 2028*. 

*Note – Timelines may vary slightly  

How does the selection process work? 

The selection process is very rigorous and consists of a number of stages: 

• Stage 1 – Open call for applications  

• Stage 2 – Internal and external reviews of all applications  

• Stage 3 – Interviews for shortlisted applicants  

• Stage 4 – Due Diligence/Governance checks on shortlisted applicants. 

• Stage 5 – Final decision by Rethink Ireland Board  

Who will decide who wins the awards? 

All applications will be reviewed thoroughly through a rigorous process. The Board of Rethink Ireland will make the final decision on successful applicants and the number and value of the final awards given. 

How do applicants find out where they are in the selection process? 

We will contact all applicants by email to let them know whether or not they have been shortlisted and invited to interview.  Interviews will be conducted via online video link. When final decisions have been made on the successful applicants, we will contact all shortlisted applicants by phone or email to let them know whether they have been successful.

By applying for the fund, you agree to the following terms and conditions. 

• You are 18 years of age or older. 

• You have given full and truthful information, both verbal and written, at all stages of the application and selection process. 

• You are eligible to apply. This means that your organisation meets the criteria for Rethink Ireland and the fund, as described. 

• You have the right to apply. This means that you hold the necessary rights to carry out the project. 

• By sending in your application, you accept these terms and conditions and our Privacy Statement. If you do not comply with these terms and conditions, you may be disqualified and may have to return any award granted. 

• Rethink Ireland will hold the personal details which you submitted with your application form. We will only share this information with the third parties administering the application and selection process unless we agree otherwise with you. Please see our Privacy Statement for full details. 

• The awardees must take part in publicity about the grant. Rethink Ireland reserves the right to publish the names of organisations that are successful in their applications. 

• If you decline an award or if the award is taken back because you did not comply with the terms and conditions, the Directors may select an alternative awardee. 

• Rethink Ireland reserves the right to disqualify any entrant, to change the terms and conditions without notice, or to cancel the application process at any stage. 

• Rethink Ireland staff (excluding board members) and donor/s, their family members and consultants currently working with Rethink Ireland are not eligible to apply. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children.