Monday, 28 July 2025 – Rethink Ireland, the national funding body creating a more just, equal and sustainable Ireland, has today announced the five awardees of the Breaking Barriers Fund in partnership with State Street Foundation and the Department of Rural and Community Development. This €1.37 million investment supports people from marginalised communities into sustainable employment, work placements, education, or internships, while also tackling discrimination, prejudice and inequality.

Each awardee organisation will receive support in the form of a cash grant, a place on Rethink Ireland’s Accelerator Programme, and tailored business supports to strengthen their operations, increase their social impact and ensure organisational sustainability. The awardees across Ireland include Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), Change Please Ireland, Saoirse Ethnic Hands, Open Doors Initiative and Way2Work Ireland (Cruthu Foundation).

Funded in partnership with the State Street Foundation and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Breaking Barriers Fund combines private philanthropy with public support to drive systemic inclusion. This fund will create pathways to meaningful employment and expand access for members of the Traveller community, people of colour, migrants, and refugees in Ireland, bringing local change to communities across the country.

Awarded projects span from barista training for migrants and inclusive catering social enterprises, to structured school-to-work supports for young migrants and a Traveller-focused employment programme. All five organisations are working to bridge long-standing gaps in opportunity by directly addressing the structural inequalities in Ireland’s labour market and education system.

Alpana Delaney, Head of Programmes for Ireland & Northern Ireland, Change Please CIC, said, “With this support from Rethink Ireland and State Street, we can increase our Employment Programme in Dublin, helping people experiencing homelessness back into sustainable jobs. We can offer barista training, employment and wraparound support to refugees, migrants and individuals of the Traveller and Roma communities, and this support enables us to scale up our work further. It also gives us the chance to review opportunities for social change in other cities, such as Cork. With every cup of coffee, we’re helping people rebuild their lives, gain independence, and become part of the local economy.”

Commenting on the impact of this fund for the scalability of the awardee projects, Tanja Buwalda, Business Development Director, Rethink Ireland, said: “This fund is about backing brave ideas that drive long-term change. Each of the five projects we’re supporting is a model of inclusive innovation, tackling not only barriers to employment and education but also the root causes of exclusion. With the backing of State Street Foundation and the Department of Rural and Community Development, we’re using our unique funding model to help these organisations scale their impact, reach more communities, and build a more just Ireland.”

Terri Dempsey, CEO and Country Head at State Street Ireland, said: “At State Street, inclusion is one of our core values. We are proud to support the Breaking Barriers initiative and partner with Rethink Ireland to support visionary organisations that are opening doors and creating real opportunities, with the potential to shift systems and transform lives.”