The REACH Fund 2024 delivers funding to improve access and supports for educationally disadvantaged learners who participate in community education programmes across Ireland.
The overarching aim of the fund this year is to increase the participation of disadvantaged learners particularly those who are undertaking literacy and skills programmes.
Community Education providers can apply for funding across several categories including learner assistance, green projects, support for refuge groups and digital supports.
The REACH Fund in 2024 is focusing on improving key capacity and supports by:
- Assisting community education providers with the necessary funds to increase their capacity to address the decline in participation of disadvantaged learners (especially those engaged in literacy and basic skills programmes at NFQ levels 1 to 3).
- Enabling the investment to build a digital infrastructure of community education providers to increase their capacity to deliver online learning and blended learning in order to meet the complex needs of a diverse range of learners.
- Empowering learners by supporting projects which bolster online learning capabilities and resources, connecting communities, providing social support and reaching out to lost learners where education stalled due to accessibility issues.
- Reconnecting some of the most disadvantaged learner groups such as the long-term unemployed; young people; people with disabilities; members of the Traveller and Roma communities; migrants and refugees; women wishing return to work; and lone parents.
Categories eligible for funding consideration are:
- Community education learner assistance support; including education outreach, mentoring projects.
- Innovative green projects.
- Projects focused on increasing participation in learning of target groups.
- Events/awareness campaigns that contribute to equality policy and legislation.
- Community groups in pre-development phase to support the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups.
- Support for refugee groups to support education and training. delivery and promote and/or support cultural and social inclusion, including research and/or needs analysis.
- Projects supporting the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) strategy, specific actions that:
- Support individuals and groups with unmet literacy needs to access education and training offered by ETBs and community education providers.
- Target funding on access to technology and devices.
- Expand community access to Wi-Fi and broadband resources.
Application process
Please read the guidelines below before submitting your application.
Completed application forms must be returned by 5pm on Wednesday, 20 March 2024 to reachfund@tipperaryetb.ie Late applications cannot be considered.
Applications will be reviewed by an internal Tipperary ETB review panel before being recommended for approval.
Please note the following:
- Funding must be expended in full by the end of 2024 and there will be no carry over of funding into 2024.
- General governance and procurement procedures and responsibilities will apply.
- Applications must ensure there is a focus on mitigating educational disadvantage and must ensure an impact at community level.
- Ideally proposals/applications will target learners at levels 1-3 but may target learners at level 4, 5 and 6 where the fund is used to target learners who are likely to experience educational disadvantage that impacts their participation in learning.
- Reporting requirements will be significant and will require financial, quantitative and qualitative information (in the form of a project narrative) and applicants must maintain all appropriate records required to report on spending under the fund.
- Grants directly to learners are not being considered under this fund currently as the appropriate governance structures and payment mechanisms are not in place.
- The fund must be used for the specific purpose intended, and cannot be used for pay costs of a recurring nature. Where staff costs are included, these must be for a specific purpose of fixed term, commitments/contracts must not extend beyond the end of 2024.
- Partnership companies (LCDC and Local Development Companies) can only apply to the fund where they are applying for funding on behalf of a specific community partner and must report on the funding and its use for the community organisation that benefitted.
- Currently the fund is not open to Specialist Training Providers e.g., NLN where they have access to similar funding. Applications will be considered only in cases where the provider can demonstrate the application does not overlap with funding from a core funder or similar scheme.
- Applicant organisation will need to submit a Hard copy of the Paypath Bank Mandate Form to facilitate the payment of the funding grant together with a signed copy of the company/organisation bank statement. The statement only needs to provide confirmation of the Company Name, Address and Bank Account details. Payments cannot be made to personal accounts Details provided will only be sued for the purpose of facilitating the administration of the grant. Data provided will be stored and managed in line with TETB Data Protection Policy and in line with GDPR.
- Funding is subject to SOLAS approval in 2024.
- REACH Funding is complemented by a national Collaboration and Innovation (C and I) Fund
If you have queries on the application process or would like to review the full terms and conditions of the fund, please email reachfund@tipperaryetb.ie
Colin Cummins
Director of Further Education and Training, Tipperary ETB
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