In Ireland, inequalities exist between different regions of the country and also within regions. While people in some parts of the country are feeling the challenge of the rural-urban divide, poverty and deprivation also persists in many urban areas. Over the past year, inequalities have only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that Ireland should be an inclusive and equal place, no matter where you live, and that social innovation is vital to making this happen.
This is why we created the Ignite Midwest Fund, Rethink Ireland’s second regional fund. ‘Ignite’ means to ‘spark’ or ‘set in motion’ and this €650,000 Fund aims to spark meaningful social impact in the counties of Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. The Fund has been created in partnership with several private donors from the region including the Parkes family Limerick, the Community Foundation for Ireland, and is matched by the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.
The Ignite Midwest Fund will provide a package of awards and supports to innovative not-for-profit organisations that are working to empower communities, tackle inequality, poverty, or social exclusion; and/or promote recovery and prevention in the counties of Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary.
This one-year Fund is open to community groups, charities, or social enterprises that support children, young people, or adults who are experiencing poverty, socio-economic disadvantage, or geographic isolation. Two awards will specifically be for projects that are using music as a means of promoting social inclusion and/or wellbeing in the region.
The Fund offers a package of cash grants and non-financial supports to the value of between €55,000 and €75,000* for up to seven projects, to help them expand and increase their social impact.
This includes:
* The Rethink Ireland Board will decide how much money to award, which may be less than the amount requested. The final amount of the award will depend on how many organisations are selected.
We invite applications from organisations or projects within organisations, that:
We particularly welcome projects that are focusing on one or more of the following:
To be eligible, applicants must satisfy the following compulsory criteria:
Rethink Ireland Compulsory Criteria
*In the context of The Ignite Midwest Fund, innovation does not have to mean new. The innovations can be existing projects which tackle inequality, poverty, or social exclusion in creative, different, and dynamic ways.
Ignite Midwest Fund Compulsory Criteria
* Music related projects can focus on intervention or prevention. This may include therapeutic use, intellectual or personal development, or community development approaches. Projects that offer only one-off interventions or that focus solely on improving musical ability or performance will not qualify.
Advantageous Criteria
Complete the online application form by 5:00 pm on Monday, 29th March 2021. To complete your application form online, you will need to upload documents including a budget and your financial statements. More information is provided in the application form.
To start your application now, enter the Application Portal.
To help with any questions you might have on applying to the Fund, we are running a lunchtime Information Webinar on Friday, 5th March. Register via Eventbrite for the webinar HERE.
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 access@rethinkireland.ie. We will be able to assist you then.
Which projects cannot apply?
Who is not eligible to apply?
What happens after we submit our application?
Can you make more than one application?
Yes, there is nothing stopping your organisation from making more than one application for separate projects. 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.
What is the selection process?
What can cash grants be spent on?
The cash grant must be spent on the project that won the award. The specific use of the cash grant will be agreed upon between Rethink Ireland and the Awardee. Cash grants may not be used to pay off debts or purchase vehicles, land or buildings.
What is expected of Awardees?
Awardees will be expected to take part in a six-month Accelerator Programme, with a minimum of two days per week devoted to working on your awarded project.
How do applicants find out where they are in the selection process?
We will contact all applicants by phone or email after final decisions have been made.
By applying for the Ignite Midwest Fund, you agree with the following:
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.
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.
Where relevant, applicant organisations must be fully compliant with guidelines, regulations and legislation applicable to their project, for instance, Children First guidelines and child protection regulations.
Any further questions?
We are hosting an Information Webinar on the Fund, on Friday 5th March from 1 – 2 pm. Register to attend this free event HERE.
Alternatively, please email the team at: ignite@rethinkireland.ie