Minister Buttimer launches the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub and announces funding for Scaling Up Initiatives
-
From: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- Published on: 3 November 2025
- Last updated on: 3 November 2025
- Minister launches the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub in Cork
- Funding of over €2.5 million also announced for social innovation initiatives
- Total funding of over €5 million allocated to support and grow the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland
Today (Monday 3rd November 2025) Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer, launched the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub at an event in Cork. The Minister also announced funding for nine social innovations projects from the New Solutions Scaling Up Grants Scheme.
The overall objective of New Solutions Fund is to enhance the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland and is co-funded through the European Social Fund + 2021-2027 (ESF+), a European initiative aimed at reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion, with an emphasis on disadvantaged groups.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Buttimer said:
“The launch of the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub is an exciting step forward in how we support social innovation in Ireland. The Hub will act as a One Stop Shop for the sector and support innovative initiatives that can address social challenges and deliver transformative change for communities.”
The New Solutions Social Innovation Hub will play a key role in developing the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland. The Hub will provide capacity building supports and grant funding to social innovation projects at all stages – from ideas to pilot scaling up.
Funding of €2.8 million has been allocated to the Hub which will be delivered by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Dublin City University, the Local Development Companies Network, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Western Development Commission and the Wheel.
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Social Innovation hub, Mario Vottero (Rethink Ireland) said:
“As a consortium, we are proud to combine our collective expertise and shared vision through New Solutions, working together to strengthen the social innovation ecosystem and create lasting social impact across communities across Ireland”.
The Minister also announced funding of over €2.5 million for nine social innovation projects from the New Solutions Scaling Up Scheme. The New Solutions Scaling Up Scheme provides funding to proven social innovation projects that are ready to grow and achieve greater impact. The successful grantees include:
- Sailing into Wellness, allocated funding of €295,734.
- Spraoi agus Sport, allocated funding of €300,000.
- Junior Achievement/Young Enterprise Ireland allocated funding of €299,396.
The New Solutions Innovation Hub will work closely with the projects to provide capacity building and support.
Announcing the successful projects, Minister Buttimer said:
“I am delighted to announce funding of over €2.5 million for nine social innovation projects from the New Solutions Scaling Up Grant Scheme. Social Innovation has the power to transform communities, supporting them in becoming stronger and more resilient.
“The successful projects announced today have already proven that they work and are ready to grow. The projects will be supported at every step by the Social Innovation Hub to maximise their impact.”
The Department was supported by Pobal in the implementation of the New Solutions Social Innovation Fund.
Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:
“Today is a significant moment for the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland. Pobal are proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside the Department of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht to support the establishment and development of the new Social Innovation Hub, we look forward to working collaboratively with ReThink and their consortium members as they take on their new role which will foster partnerships, share knowledge and will create impactful social innovation initiatives into the future.
“Similarly, Pobal acknowledges the successful grantees awarded funding under the Social Innovation Fund – Scaling Up Grants and the exciting opportunity to empower these organisations to scale their innovative solutions, enabling them to address social challenges more effectively and sustainably.”
A full list of successful projects is available here.
Notes
ESF+ New Solutions Fund
The Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training Programme (EIST) is Ireland’s ESF+ programme for the 2021 to 2027 period. New Solutions falls under Priority 4: Social Innovation, of the ESF+ EIST Programme 2021-2027. The New Solutions programme is co-funded through ESF+ funding (95%) and DRCDG funding (5%). The programme will be delivered between 2026 and 2028.
The overarching objective for New Solutions is to enhance the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland by, ‘fostering active inclusion, promoting equal opportunities, non-discrimination and active participation, and to improve employability, for disadvantaged groups including through the social enterprise business model.’
This objective will be achieved by supporting the establishment of a Social Innovation Hub, which will further develop the social innovation ecosystem by providing capacity building supports, along with the provision of grants to social innovations at Pilot and Scaling stage as well as introducing an 'Ideas Academy' for exploring potential new social innovations.
Social Innovation Hub
The New Solutions Social Innovation Hub will play a key role in developing the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland. The Hub will serve as a central support for social innovation in Ireland. It will deliver a number of functions including the provision of capacity building and bespoke support measures to social innovation initiatives receiving grant funding, awareness raising and ecosystem development and impact measurement and learning.
A consortium led by Rethink Ireland will deliver the Social Innovation Hub. The other consortium members are Dublin City University, the Local Development Companies Network, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Western Development Commission and the Wheel.
New Solutions Scaling Up Scheme
The Scaling Up Grants Scheme is the first funding call to be activated under New Solutions. The aim of the Scheme is to fund social innovation initiatives that are ready to grow and achieve greater impact, which fall under at least one of the following social inclusion themes:
- Increasing access to employment for disadvantaged groups who are distant from the labour market.
- Increasing access to education for disadvantaged groups
- Personal and social development of young people most at risk of poverty and social exclusion
- Harnessing the potential of sport for social development and social inclusion of disadvantaged groups
Following a comprehensive assessment process, nine projects were allocated funding of over €2.5 million.
Full Details are available here.