Open Call: Traveller and Roma Local Employment Initiative Expansion – Local Offices and National Coordinator

The Department of Children, Disability, and Equality (DCDE and/or ‘the Department’) is inviting applications from eligible organisations for funding under the new Traveller and Roma Local Employment Initiative (TRLEI) Pilot Scheme and for the appointment of a national TRLEI Coordinator.

Funding under the TRLEI Pilot Scheme will be allocated for the purpose of providing employment and training support services through TRLEI local offices. The Pilot Scheme is open only to local offices that have not previously received funding under the SIT. Existing local offices receiving funding under the TRLEI will continue to use the existing application process for 2026.

Applicants are permitted to apply for both the role of TRLEI Coordinator as well as funding to provide the services of a TRLEI local office under the TRLEI Pilot Scheme. In the event of a successful application to both the TRLEI Coordinator and the TRLEI local office, the applicant will be duly notified and asked for their preference to be given.

The TRLEI is administered by the Traveller and Roma Policy Unit in DCDE.

For all details of the TRLEI Pilot Scheme and appointment of a TRLEI Coordinator, please refer to the relevant Guidance Notes available below.

The TRLEI, formerly known as the Special Initiative for Travellers (SIT), is an employment support programme targeted at Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland. Previously, the programme only targeted Travellers: however, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024 – 2028 (‘NTRIS II’), Roma are now included as a target group in each TRLEI location.

The Department provides funding to select organisations around the country to host TRLEI local offices and so provide supports and services to Travellers and Roma in securing and retaining employment, gaining new skills and expertise, and engaging in further education and training.

The objective of the TRLEI Programme is to address the imbalance in Traveller and Roma unemployment by providing effective, locally based training, employment, advocacy and referral pathway supports to individuals from both communities, including by coordinating efforts with other local training and employment services, and by building interlinkages with local Traveller and Roma communities and their representative organisations and with local employers.

The TRLEI Programme contributes to the realisation of the strategic outcome under the employment and enterprise theme of NTRIS II:

“Travellers and Roma have equal access to quality and sustainable employment. Entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities for Travellers and Roma are supported. There is a positive and inclusive workplace culture where diversity is valued, and every individual is treated with respect and dignity.”

Under the TRLEI Pilot Scheme, the Department intends to fund a further eight local offices across the country to provide employment, enterprise, and training supports and services to Travellers and Roma. The type of services each local office will provide will be determined on a case-by-case basis; however, it is intended that a job coach, support worker, or equivalent will be employed to provide one-to-one employment supports to clients, undertake outreach, advocacy, and referral services, and identify further learning needs and training opportunities.

The choice of locations for the new TRLEI local offices will be informed by the size of the Traveller and Roma populations in the different local areas for which applications are received.

To support the Department in the coordination, governance, and oversight of both the existing TRLEI local offices as well as the local offices selected under the TRLEI Pilot Scheme, the Department will provide funding to an eligible, suitable organisation to act as National TRLEI Coordinator.

The TRLEI Coordinator will operate as the primary point of contact for all TRLEI local offices and will liaise regularly with the Department, as well as relevant stakeholders, to facilitate the improvement of the services provided and the standardisation of the processes used to carry out these services. The TRLEI Coordinator will ensure that issues are identified and responded to efficiently. It will also coordinate the national TRLEI contribution and response to new initiatives that support employment, training, and enterprise development for Travellers and Roma.

Funding period

The funding period for both the TRLEI Pilot Scheme and the TRLEI Coordinator will commence on 1 September 2026 and will conclude on 31 December, for a total operating period of four months.

Applicants should note that the Department proposes that, subject to appropriate funding commitments being secured for 2027 in the Estimates process during the second half of 2026, the scheme will be extended, without the requirement for a new expression of interest process, for a further calendar year covering the period 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027, with funding provided pro-rata to the 2026 grant amount. This is applicable to both funding streams.

TRLEI Pilot Scheme

The Department expects that any funding allocated to successful applicants under the TRLEI Pilot Scheme will be within the following thresholds for the period outlined above.

• Minimum grant allocation: €20,000.00 per applicant for the period of four months.
• Maximum grant allocation: €30,000.00 per applicant for the period of four months.

TRLEI Coordinator

The Department expects that any funding allocated to the successful applicant for the purposes of providing the services of the TRLEI Coordinator will be within the following thresholds for the period outlined above:

• Minimum grant allocation: €25,000.00 for the period of four months.
• Maximum grant allocation: €35,000.00 for the period of four months.

Full guides to the application processes for the TRLEI Pilot Scheme and the TRLEI Coordinator are provided in the Guidance Notes below.

Only applications submitted using the application forms provided (attached at Appendix I of the Guidance Note) will be considered for TRLEI funding. This applies to both funding streams.

Applications must be submitted by email to equality@dcde.gov.ie by 12.00 midday on 17 June 2026.

All communications, including the completed application form(s), should be sent by email to equality@dcde.gov.ie.