Shared Island Funding

Shared Island Funding

Funding from the Shared Island Fund is allocated by the Government to Departments and Agencies to support the delivery of projects that implement Programme for Government priorities on Shared Island.

These projects are developed and taken forward in cooperation with counterparts in Northern Ireland and focus on practical cross-border collaboration in a range of areas including on key infrastructure projects, climate action, tourism, culture and research.

In some cases, Departments operate programmes that offer grant and funding opportunities that are open to applications as part of the Shared Island Initiative. These programmes support the broadening of cooperation, connections and mutual understanding across all communities on the island of Ireland.

Shared Island programmes that are currently open for application:

All-Island Support Programmes for Women Entrepreneurs

Funded by the Shared Island Enterprise scheme, InterTradeIreland in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, is launching three new programmes to support women-led businesses to grow, innovate and scale.

Beginning in early 2026, the initiatives will offer practical support including mentoring, workshops and networking opportunities for women at all stages of business development.

The programmes include:

• WeBuild – A tech-focused programme supporting women to develop and accelerate tech-enabled business ideas, delivered by TechFoundHer.
• WeGrow – A growth programme for established women-led SMEs seeking to reflect on and expand their business potential, delivered by Women in Business NI and Network Ireland.
• WeScale – A scaling programme supporting women entrepreneurs to scale sustainably and strategically, with tailored mentoring and investor access, delivered by AwakenHub.

Applications for all three programmes are now open.
More information is available here.

Shared Island grant funding programmes to date:

• Shared Island dimension to Creative Ireland

• North South Research Programme

• Co-Centres for Research and Innovation

• Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme

• Shared Island Community Climate Action Programme

• Shared Island Enterprise Scheme

• Shared Island Tourism Coast to Coast Capital Investment Scheme

• All-Island Bioeconomy Demonstrators

• Shared Island Civic Society Fund

For information on other Shared Island funded infrastructure and investment projects, see here.

Other proposals:

Proposals for other all-island investment or cooperation projects, including for Shared Island Fund support, are considered by the relevant Government Department or Agency for the the sector or topic addressed. Assessed and approved projects are agreed and implemented in partnership with appropriate stakeholders across both jurisdictions.