From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today (5 April 2024) launched a call for proposals under the Programme for Support Organisations to Early Learning and Care, School Age Childcare and Childminding Sector 2025.
The purpose of the Programme is to enable organisations that support the early learning and childcare sector to submit a funding proposal for work that they will undertake to directly facilitate and support, or compliment, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) early learning and childcare policy objectives in 2025.
€2.54 million is available through this Programme, with applications considered under the following overarching themes in 2025:
• Support national practice programmes;
• Research;
• Resource Development;
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) content development;
• CPD training delivery on behalf of the Department;
• Irish language supports;
• Practice innovation;
• Childminding (Childminding work must support the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021 - 2028 ).
Minister O’Gorman said:
“The process will be open to non-governmental organisations or not-for-profit organisations with special interests and expertise in the early learning and childcare, school-age childcare and childminding sector.
“My Department is looking for innovative solutions or supports and applications may be submitted by individual support organisations or by a consortium.”
The process for allocating funding under this Programme in 2025 will change from previous years. For the 2025 Programme, there will be a two-phase application process.
Phase 1 is a call for outline proposals. Applications under this Phase must be submitted by 19 April 2024, with the outcome of this Phase communicated on 10 May 2024.
Successful applicants in Phase 1 will be requested to submit a full proposal by 31 May 2024.
The programme application guidelines and application forms are available on the Pobal website: www.pobal.ie.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has designated eight overarching themes for 2025. The table below provides information on these themes and some examples of potential proposal content/focus.
