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AMIF and ESF Funding
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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In order to promote the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, strengthening and development of a common European Union approach to asylum and immigration, the European Commission established the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
The first AMIF programme covered the period 2014-2020. The current AMIF programme runs from 2021-2027 and, similar to the previous programme, required formal ‘opt-in’ from the Irish Government. The new AMIF programme has similar aims to the 2014-2020 programme
The AMIF Fund will contribute to the achievement of four specific objectives:
• Asylum: strengthening and developing the Common European Asylum System by ensuring that EU legislation in this field is efficiently and uniformly applied
• Legal migration and integration: supporting legal migration to EU States in line with the labour market needs and promoting the effective integration of non-EU nationals
• Return: enhancing fair and effective return strategies, which contribute to combating irregular migration, with an emphasis on sustainability and effectiveness of the return process and readmission in third countries
• Solidarity: making sure that those EU States which are most affected by migration and asylum flows can count on solidarity and responsibility sharing from other EU States
Funding is available for Reception, Integration and Capacity Building actions that address one or more of the Specific Objectives set out in Ireland’s National Programme AMIF (2021-2027). The National Programme includes examples of the types of actions that may be funded. Actions not specified in the National Programme may still be eligible for funding provided they address relevant Objective(s).
• third country nationals (Citizens of non-EU countries who are legally resident in Ireland)
• International Protection Applicants
• eligible asylum seekers
• under the capacity objective, actions may also target public authorities, civil society bodies and recipients of AMIF funding and the staff and volunteers of those entities
AMIF 2014-2020 and AMIF 2021-2027 national programmes are administered by the Funds Administration Unit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) This unit serves as the designated Responsible/Managing Authority.
The Funds Administration Unit in DCEDIY:
• Administers ‘Open Calls’ for proposals and provides grant funding to successful applicants.
• Provides ‘Direct Awards’ to certain bodies which have a unique capacity to perform certain measures.
• Provides funds to assist the return of third country nationals to their country of origin, on both a voluntary and involuntary basis
In March 2022, Ireland opted in to the 2021-2027 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Each Member State wishing to participate in the AMIF must produce a National Programme covering the main areas of the Fund. Ireland's national programme was drafted following consultations with relevant interests in the State, including non-governmental organisations, as well as with the European Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the overall administration of the Fund. Ireland’s 2021-2027 national programme can be found at the below link.
With the European Commission’s approval of Ireland’s national AMIF programme, the AMIF 2021-2027 programme has a total allocation of €60.19 million, made up of €49.7 million in EU funding and €10.4 million in national and beneficiary co-financing.
AMIF total EU budget is divided between allocations to Member States’ programmes and allocations to what is called the thematic facility. The thematic facility is intended to complement funding made available to Member States with a focus on actions with Union added-value in a diverse number of policy areas such as international protection, legal migration and integration. It can also be used to support, for example, resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes.
On the 20th October 2023, the Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien, launched a Call for Proposals from organisations planning projects to support the reception and integration of Third Country Nationals in Ireland. Funding will be made available through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth over the period of the programme.
Arising from this call for proposals, €10 million in funding across 17 projects was approved by Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien to support the reception and integration of Third Country Nationals in Ireland. The minimum AMIF grant available to projects was €300,000.
The applicants in the PDF attachment below were selected for grant offers under the 2023 Call for Proposals:
• €10m will be made available to organisations nationwide to provide reception and integration supports to Third Country Nationals.
• Minimum grant amount of €300,000, over 4 years, to support a number of significant projects throughout Ireland.
• Funding provided to a maximum of 75% of eligible costs by the EU via the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), as part of the 2021-2027 AMIF national programme supported by the Government of Ireland.
‘Third-country national’ means any person who is not a citizen of the European Union. Reference to TCN shall be understood to include stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality.
How to apply:
Applicants are encouraged to consult the ‘Information and Guidance for Applicants’ document at the link below: AMIF Information and Guidance for Applicants 2023 Call
And then complete the applications forms which are available at the link below: Application Forms for the 2023 AMIF Open Call
Applicants can then submit their completed forms to amif@equality.gov.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Friday, 1st December 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants can submit queries to amif@equality.gov.ie in relation to any aspect of the Call or the application process. The below “Queries and Responses in relation to AMIF 2023 Call for Proposals” document is updated by Funds Administration Unit and includes submitted queries and the responses. Applicants are encouraged to consult this document before submitting a query as the query may already be addressed
Please note that the guidance document is the latest version and may be subject to change. All funded projects must contribute to the achievement of the objectives and spending commitments set out in the AMIF National Programme.
20231201 Queries and Responses in relation to AMIF 2023 Call for Proposals
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Assessment Process:
All applications are acknowledged upon receipt by the Funds Administration Unit.
Applications are assessed using fair and transparent procedures established by the Funds Administration Unit. The Proposals which meet the criteria and objectives of the Call and which score highest following assessment are selected for grant funding.
All applicants are given feedback on the outcome of the assessment of their application.
Ireland’s AMIF 2014-2020 funding has been used since 2016 to fund NGO-led migrant integration programmes, aspects of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), and the Returns Programme operated by the Department of Justice for international protection applicants whose claims have not been successful, or who choose to return to their home country.
In response to the influx of refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, the EU agreed to extend the AMIF 2014-2020 programme, bringing the effective programme end-date to June 2024. During this extended period, Member States are permitted to re-deploy unused funds under existing activities to support Ukrainian refugees. In Q4 2022, DCEDIY’s Funds Administration Unit completed a limited Call for Proposals to support the increased activity experienced by many of the existing AMIF projects arising from the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in their areas. All applicants have been advised of the outcome of their applications, and first payments are being disbursed.
In response to the influx of refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, the EU agreed to extend the AMIF 2014-2020 programme, bringing the effective programme end-date to June 2024. During this extended period, Member States are permitted to re-deploy unused funds under existing activities to activities to support Ukrainian refugees.
All AMIF 2019 Call projects were due to expire 30th June 2022. All ongoing projects were invited to submit a revised application for an extension which was offered to 31st December 2023.
Extending these existing contracts allowed the continuation of supports across the two programme cycles to an appropriate degree. This also demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to assisting asylum seekers and migrants.
The below applicants were selected for grant offers following the 2022 closed Call for Proposals:
Clare Immigrant Support Centre
County Kildare Leader Partnership
Crosscare
Cultur Migrant Centre
Galway City Partnership
Immigrant Council of Ireland
Irish Traveller Movement
KASI
Marino Institute of Education
NASC
North East West Kerry Developments
South West Mayo Dev Co.
Spirasi
Waterford Area Partnership
On 7 October 2019, Charlie Flanagan TD, former Minister for Justice and David Stanton TD, former Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for Integration, Immigration and Equality announced funding for the migrant integration projects which will provide a range of practical supports directly to migrants, including English language classes and workplace training. Anti-racism and cultural diversity initiatives will also receive funding.
Examples of the migrant integration projects selected for funding include:
- a project in Cork to provide employment-readiness training to migrants based around a horticultural theme
- a nationwide project to provide structured diversity training in schools to promote diversity and integration
- a nationwide project to provide personal development programme, through participation in personal, physical, community and team challenges
Announcing the migrant integration funding, Minister Stanton said:
"I have already funded 20 projects, with total grants of €4.5m in 2017 to support migrant integration projects over a three-year period. I am continuing funding to some of these existing projects and have added some new ones as part of 19 projects allocated grant funding of €4.5m to cover 2019-22. These grants will support and bolster the good work being carried out every day by local community organisations and national NGOs in support of migrant integration, which is crucially important."
The below applicants were selected for grant offers following the open Calls for Proposals.
- City of Dublin Education and Training Board
- Clare Immigrant Support Centre
- Cork Education and Training Board
- County Kildare Leader Partnership
- Crosscare
- Cultur Migrant Centre
- Gaisce
- Galway City Partnership
- Immigrant Council of Ireland
- Irish Traveller Movement
- KASI
- Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board
- Marino Institute of Education
- Monaghan County Council
- NASC
- North East West Kerry Developments
- South West Mayo Dev Co.
- Spirasi
- Waterford Area Partnership
Following an Open Call process in 2016, €4.5 million was made available to 20 projects to be delivered over a three-year period in multiple locations across Ireland by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and others, who were successful following an open Call for Proposals under the European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
This funding was targeted at initiatives to promote the integration of non-EU migrants and to combat discrimination and racism. The migrant integration projects provided a range of practical supports directly to migrants, including English language classes and workplace training. Anti-racism and cultural diversity initiatives also received funding.
Examples of the migrant integration projects selected for funding included:
• a project in Cork to provide information and support services to vulnerable migrants
• a Dublin-based project to assist long-term residents of Direct Provision Centres to make a successful transition to life in the community
• a Kilkenny project to provide local work skills training and job placement to migrants who are experiencing barriers to participating in the workforce. These projects initiated throughout 2017 and are completed.
The below applicants were selected for grant offers following the open Calls for Proposals:
Galway City Partnership
Football Association of Ireland
Crosscare
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Ltd.
Irish Refugee Council
Doras Luimní
Laois Partnership Company
Mary Immaculate College
National College of Ireland
South West Mayo Development Company
KASI
Spirasi
Irish Traveller Movement
Clare Immigrant Support Centre Ltd
NASC
Kilmallock Performing Centre
Migrants Rights Centre Ireland
Edmund Rice*/ Waterford Area Partnership
- Waterford Area Partnership took over delivery of the Edmund Rice project in 2018
The European Social Fund (ESF) is Europe’s main tool for promoting employment and social inclusion – helping people get a job (or a better job), integrating disadvantaged people into society and ensuring fairer life opportunities for all. It does this by investing in Europe’s people and their skills – employed and jobless, young and old.
The Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training Programme, EIST for short, is Ireland’s ESF+ programme for the 2021 to 2027 period. It was formally approved by the European Commission in October 2022 and approved by the Government of Ireland in November 2022. The Programme involves a total investment of over €1.08 billion; €508 million from the EU and €573 million from the Government of Ireland. T
EIST contains five Priorities which were developed in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, EU and national policy, and a stakeholder consultation process.
Priority 1 – Employment: Support labour market training and activation measures for all job seekers with a particular focus on younger workers, the long-term unemployed and those underrepresented in the labour market, including people with a disability.
Priority 2 – Skills and Lifelong Learning: Support increased access to inclusive education and training at all levels including through the enhanced provision of adult education and targeted support for learners from disadvantaged groups. Promote lifelong learning through support for upskilling and reskilling programmes in key sectors of the economy.
Priority 3 – Social Inclusion: Provide targeted support for individuals at higher risk of social exclusion, to facilitate their active participation in society and improve employability. Support actions designed to further the personal and social development of those at risk of poverty or social exclusion, in particular young people and children.
Priority 4 – Social Innovation: Support social innovation and social experimentation measures including the development and testing of new ideas, approaches and policies designed to address this challenge. It will also support the scaling up of approaches tested on a smaller scale or in a different context. The overall aim is to develop new approaches to the challenges faced by disadvantaged groups and to develop the social innovation ecosystem in Ireland
Priority 5 – Assistance to the Most Deprived: help people take their first steps out of poverty by addressing their most basic needs i.e. food and basic materials for personal use.
On the 29th June 2022, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Mr. Roderic O’Gorman T.D., launched a Call for Proposals seeking applications from suitably qualified organisations for funding of projects under Priority 3-Social Inclusion “Integration and Employment of Migrants” activity of the Programme for Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) 2021-2027.
This Activity is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. The Activity proposes to increase the levels of employability of the participants.
The specific categories of persons targeted by this Activity are as follows:
• EEA Nationals who are resident in Ireland
• Third-Country Nationals (TCN) with permission to enter employment in Ireland, including refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
‘Third-country national’ means any person who is not a citizen of the European Union. Reference to TCN shall be understood to include stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality.
Funding will be made available through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth over the period of the programme.
Up to €2.7 million may be committed under this call, over 3 years.
Examples of projects selected for funding include:
• A Mid-West based project also offering service nationwide that will work with migrants and employers to overcome some of the most significant barriers to employment, faced by migrants in Ireland, namely limited local work experience and social networks.
• A Leinster based project also offering service nationwide that will work in partnership with ODI corporate members and supporting NGOs to build pathways to employment, further education and entrepreneurship for migrants, in particular migrants who are vulnerable, have greater difficulty finding work or have additional needs.
• A Northern based project that work within communities to recruit 225 eligible migrants. Participants will be assigned an experienced mentor to work with them for up to 13 weeks to reach their full potential to overcome barriers to employment.
The below applicants were selected for grant offers following the open calls for proposals.
• Doras
• Network Personnel
• Cultúr Celebrating Diversity
• People 1st
• Pathways to Progress/Open Doors Initiative
• Waterford Area Partnership
• Business in the Community Ireland
Assessment:
All applications are acknowledged upon receipt by the Funds Administration Unit.
Applications are assessed using fair and transparent procedures established by the Funds Administration Unit. The Proposals which meet the criteria and objectives of the Call and which score highest following assessment are selected for grant funding. Further information will then be sought prior to a Grant Agreement being drafted.
All applicants are given feedback on the outcome of the assessment of their application.
Please note: The Gender Equality Activity is managed by the Inclusion, Equality and Gender Equality Division of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Funds Administration Unit will manage the day-to-day administration of the fund on behalf of Gender Equality Division.
The Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning, PEIL for short, is the only ESF programme in Ireland for the 2014 to 2020 period. It was formally approved by the European Commission in February 2015 and was launched in April of that year. The Programme involves a total investment of €1.157 billion; over €544 million each from the ESF and the Irish Government and a special allocation of just over €68 million from the EU’s Youth Employment Initiative.
In line with the investment priorities set out in the ESF Regulation, the key areas chosen for investment in Ireland revolve around activation of the unemployed, social and labour market inclusion, education and youth employment.
The department manages funding in two areas of activity under the PEIL 2014-2020, Priority 2: Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities:
- gender equality
- integration and employment of migrants
The Gender Equality activity area contains two separate strands a) Women Returning to the Workforce and b) Women’s Entrepreneurship.
Strand A - Women Returning to the Workforce: In line with the government’s ‘Action Plan for Jobs 2016’, the Department of Social Protection’s strategy ‘Pathways to Work 2016-2020’ has identified a group of people “who, although not classified as unemployed jobseekers, have the potential and the desire to play a more active role in the labour force” as a key target for job activation measures. Women in this category are the target participants for this activity.
Strand B - Women's Entrepreneurship: The government issued a National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in 2014, which recognises that ‘entrepreneurship is a key element in the health and wellbeing of any thriving economy and will be central to Ireland’s continuing recovery. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2017-2018 Report , reported that Irish men are 1.9 times more likely than Irish women to be an Early Stage Entrepreneur, compared with the European average of 1.7. The EU- 28 average ratio of 1.8:1 of men to women Early Stage Entrepreneurs suggest that there is still a pool of women entrepreneurs to be supported by this activity.
This activity is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. It proposes to increase the levels of employability of the participants who can be EEA Nationals who are resident in Ireland and Third Country Nationals with permission to enter employment in Ireland.
On 16 October 2019 Charlie Flanagan TD, former Minister for Justice and Equality and David Stanton TD, former Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for Integration, Immigration and Equality announced new funding for Gender Equality projects. The gender equality projects aim to support women’s entrepreneurship and participation in the workforce through a range of training and mentoring initiatives.
Examples of the gender equality projects selected for funding include:
- a Leinster-based project to provide employment-readiness training to women in the asylum system focused around Direct Provision locations
- a South and West Dublin-based project to provide training and mentoring to women who wish to start their own business
- a project in County Wexford to provide comprehensive, QQI accredited job-readiness training for women who are detached form the labour market
Announcing the gender equality funding, Minister Flanagan said:
"The €5.8m I am announcing today will support women’s participation in the workforce. It builds on the €5.5m funding awarded to 18 projects in 2017 and it will directly support disadvantaged women to access the labour market. It will also, I hope, help more women to become successful entrepreneurs."
He added:
"I am very encouraged by the progress to date and the continuing improvement in women’s participation in the workforce. However, women continue to have lower overall levels of participation in the workforce, are paid less and have less access to senior positions. Women are also less likely to own or manage their own businesses."
The below applicants were selected for grant offers following the open calls for proposals.
- South East Community Training and Education Centre (SECTEC)
- Ballyhoura Development Association
- Business in the Community Ireland
- Cherish/One Family
- Cork City Partnership
- Irish Refugee Council
- National Collective of Community-Based Women’s Networks
- Network Personnel
- New Communities Partnership
- North East West Kerry Developments
- Northside Partnership
- People First
- Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
- Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
- Partas
- SECAD Partnership CLG
- South East Community Training and Education Centre
The application process is now closed. Please check back for updates on future application processes.
The following Information and Guidance document should be used by organisations when completing applications:
Please note that the guidance document and grant agreement are the latest version and maybe subject to change.
All funded projects must contribute to the achievement of the objectives and spending commitments set out in Ireland’s relevant ESF Activity Implementation Plans.
All applications are acknowledged upon receipt by the Funds Administration Unit.
Applications are assessed using fair and transparent procedures established by the Funds Administration Unit. The Proposals which meet the criteria and objectives of the Call and which score highest following assessment are selected for grant funding. Further information will then be sought prior to a Grant Agreement being drafted.
All applicants are given feedback on the outcome of the assessment of their application.
Please note: The Gender Equality Activity is managed by the Inclusion, Equality and Gender Equality Division of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Funds Administration Unit will manage the day-to-day administration of the fund on behalf of Gender Equality Division.
Following an Open Call process in 2016, €5.2 million was made available to 18 projects to be delivered in a three-year period in multiple locations across Ireland by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), locally based community groups, and others, who were successful following an open Call for Proposals under the European Social Fund 2014-2020.
Under the European Social Fund, funding of €4 million over three years was made available for initiatives targeted at women currently detached from the labour market, but wish to take up paid employment. €1.2 million was made available for projects to support women’s entrepreneurship.
The gender equality projects support women’s entrepreneurship and participation in the workforce through a range of training and mentoring initiatives.
Examples of the gender equality projects selected for funding include:
- a Dublin-based project to assist women who are lone parents onto pathways to sustainable employment
- a project in counties Galway and Mayo to provide training and mentoring to women who wish to start their own business
- A project in counties Cavan and Monaghan to give job skills training and work placement opportunities to women who are outside the workforce.
Under the 2016 Call, Proposals were also sought under the Integration and Employment of Migrants priority area of the ESF. Grants totalling €3.3 million to promote integration and the employment of migrants were awarded to a total of 5 projects that would aim to increase the employability of migrants who may be experiencing barriers to entering the labour market here. The projects were to be delivered in a four-year period in multiple locations across Ireland by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), locally based community groups, and others, who were successful following an open Call for Proposals for funding under the European Social Fund 2014 - 2020.
Examples of the integration and employment of migrants projects selected for funding include:
- a Dublin-based project to assist migrants to raise their skills and help them find employment and employment related training opportunities including work placement and mentoring
- a nationwide project to migrants providing them with training focused on needs assessment, development of personalised action plan and job readiness training
The Gender Equality and Integration and Employment of Migrants projects initiated throughout 2017 are near completion. The Funds Administration Unit continues to monitor and evaluate the progress of the projects.
2022 ESF+ Open Call
Integration and Employment of Migrants
This Activity is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. The Activity proposes to increase the levels of employability of the participants. The specific categories of persons targeted by this Activity are as follows:
- EEA Nationals who are resident in Ireland
- Third-Country Nationals (TCN) with permission to enter employment in Ireland, including refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
‘Third-country national’ means any person who is not a citizen of the European Union. Reference to TCN shall be understood to include stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality.
Funding will be made available through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (60% EU-funded, 40% Exchequer funded for projects located in the Northern and Western NUTS II Region with 40% EU funding and 60% exchequer funding for projects in all other areas) over the period of the programme.
Up to €2.7 million may be committed under this call, over 3 years.
Further ESF Programmes, covering the period 2021-2027 is in development, and will be launched in 2023.