Minister Foley and Minister Higgins launch €750,000 Power to Participate Fund for Disabled Persons’ Organisations
- Foilsithe: 15 Bealtaine 2026
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 15 Bealtaine 2026
The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley and the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins have today launched a new €750,000 Power to Participate Fund for Disabled Persons’ Organisations and eligible Civil Society Organisations.
Power to Participate: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement Fund 2026 will make individual grants available to organisations that are led by and include disabled people so they can work with Government Departments on policies and initiatives to deliver on the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
This commitment is in line with obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure that disabled people and their representative organisations are included in the development and delivery of policy and legislation that affects their lives.
Grants will help provide Assistive Technology, support training, help the organisation register as a charity, establish their board, support them to grow and more.
Announcing the Fund, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, said:
“I am delighted to announce that applications are open for the brand-new Power to Participate Fund. Throughout the development of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, we heard a clear message from disabled people that they must be at the centre of the decision-making process.
“This Fund is an important step to support disability stakeholder organisations to engage and deliver the transformative vision of the Strategy we created together. I am looking forward to supporting these organisations, including Disabled Persons’ Organisations to deliver on our shared values of equality, participation, and choice for disabled people.”
The Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins said:
“The new Power to Participate Fund delivers on one of our key commitments in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. It also realises the collaborative approach set out in that Strategy, enabling us to deliver on its transformative agenda. I encourage all Disabled Persons’ Organisations and eligible civil society organisations to apply.”
Launched in September 2025, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 sets out how Ireland will progressively realise the rights of disabled people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
A key commitment of the Strategy is to establish and embed a robust framework across Government for supporting meaningful and participatory stakeholder engagement with disabled people. The launch of Power to Participate Fund is one action toward meeting this commitment
Power to Participate: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement Fund for Disabled Persons’ Organisations and Civil Society Organisations is open now and will close on Friday 26 June 2026. More information about the fund, and how you can apply, is available online here.
Notes to Editors
Information on the Power to Participate Fund is available in a range of accessible formats:
- English;
- Irish;
- Easy-to-Read;
- English (MS Word, compatible with screen readers);
- Irish (MS Word, compatible with screen readers);
- ISL interpretation (video playlist).
The funding will be administered entirely within DCDE. The grants will be of a 12 month duration, with a call for proposals to take place each year. There will be 3 strands of funding so that funding is accessible to a range of disabled person’s organisations, ranging from very small to large.
Strand 1: Supporting advocacy - €75,000
- Funding for disabled persons’ advocacy organisations/civil society organisations requiring additional supports such as support personnel and/or assistive technology that may be required for stakeholder engagement.
- Funding to support disabled person’s advocacy organisations/civil society organisations in establishing appropriate legal and governance structures including registration as a legal entity or charity, establishment of a formal board, accountancy services.
Strand 2: Disabled Persons’ Organisations Capacity Strengthening - €600,000
- Funding to support Disabled Persons’ Organisations and other civil society organisations with a representative mandate for disability advocacy to grow and strengthen their capacity to operate as effective disability advocates.
- Funding will be for a range of eligible costs including core funding for running costs and to support posts (for example, research or advocacy).
Strand 3: Outreach for capacity building -€75,000
- Funding to support existing Disabled Persons’ Organisations/civil society organisations to come together, lead thinking and complete an initial scoping exercise to determine how community outreach might be advanced.
- Project funding – to be led and organised by one organisation in receipt of funding (for example, project officer and consultation costs).
Total Budget Allocation: Up to €750,000