Non-profits nationwide urged to apply for the third Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 

The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 3.0, operated by Rethink Ireland in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), will provide €3.5 million in funding to non-profits around the country who are actively increasing participation for people with disabilities in their communities, as well as enhancing understanding and awareness of living with a disability. The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 3.0 is open for applications from today (30 September) and non-profits nationwide are urged to apply.

This eight-month fund is the third iteration of the fund and partnership between DCEDIY and Rethink Ireland, following successful uptake of the fund by non-profits across the country who are leading innovative projects to support people with disabilities to participate in community life.

Up to 18 projects will be chosen to receive a share of this funding and support package, bringing the number of projects funded by DCEDIY through Rethink Ireland since February 2023 to 58. Including this new fund, DCEDIY has invested €10 million in increasing disability participation and awareness between 2022 and 2024.

Funding will be awarded to innovation-led and change-focused projects that build employment skills and experience, remove barriers for people with disabilities in their communities, or support the overall participation of people with disabilities in local activities, across four key strands: Supporting community, sports and physical participation; Supporting arts and cultural activities; Supporting social enterprises providing employment experience or apprenticeships; and Supporting the participation of neurodiverse children and adults in their local communities.

Rethink Ireland’s venture philanthropy model – a combination of cash grants plus business supports – works to enable growth and drive sustainable impact for organisations in the vibrant social sector.  

Anne Rabbitte TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, commented: 

“I am very pleased to announce this next round of funding for organisations nationwide. Disability is an equality issue; that is what we are striving for with this funding – accelerating the move towards equality for people with disabilities.

“Since I established the Disability Promotion and Awareness Fund, I’ve seen so many wonderful projects supported across the country that are delivering meaningful change for people with disabilities. Importantly, it is bringing the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities to life in communities across Ireland. The starting point for this Fund, now in its third iteration, is that equality is a right, not a wish – people with disabilities must have equal opportunity to participate in day-to-day life.

“It is vital that, as a nation, we continue to support the hard-working programmes, projects and services in our communities that focus on urgent change, increasing vital access and skills-building for people with disabilities.”

Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland said: “At Rethink Ireland we back social innovation. We are working towards communities that are designed for everyone with equality at the centre. 

The success of our partnership with Minister Anne Rabbitte and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is clearly evident in the brilliant organisations supported through this Fund to date and I am very excited about the new organisations we will see supported under this new investment.”

Shane Tuohy, Manager, Link Galway said at the launch of the Fund: “We are a supported employment service in Galway City in the catering sector through our café, bakery, catering service & training centre. We received support from Rethink Ireland’s previous Disability Participation and Awareness Fund that helped us to employ nine additional supported employees with an intellectual disability in our relaunched Bakery & Catering Service plus staff in supporting roles. Rethink Ireland’s funding and business supports also allowed us to apply for status to deliver QQI training modules. These modules, rolling out over the next year, provide additional training places for aspiring bakers.

“Through this fund, innovative organisations like us at Link Galway, will be supported by Rethink Ireland to activate projects that tackle the expansion of vital and effective disability participation and awareness programmes, services and products in their own communities.

“Backing from Rethink Ireland and the Department, with a focus on equality, means inclusive action is taken to improve the wellbeing of people both with and without disabilities. We would encourage any organisation with an equality agenda, who have a solution to a community need, to apply for the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.”

Learn more about the fund and apply today on the fund page.