Rethink Ireland’s Empower Tech Futures Fund Program

The overarching goal of the Empower Tech Futures Fund is to tackle disparities in opportunity and access to employment for young adults at a disadvantage. It will do so by supporting organisations working with young people to access employment to scale their reach and impact.

Challenges

• The fund will focus on projects/organisations tailored towards the multiple challenges and barriers facing young adults, which include:
  • Limited awareness of career options and jobs
  • Lack of general or technical skills or qualifications desired by employers including digital and technology skills
  • Insufficient support/social networks to access and thrive in employment
• By providing a range of support initiatives for young people, from guidance and coaching to skills development to work placements, the fund aims to reduce barriers to employment and facilitate their smooth transition into the workforce.

Funding Information

• The fund offers a package of cash grants and non-financial supports to the value of almost €240,000 per project for up to 5 projects, to help them expand and increase their social impact.

Non-Financial Supports 

• The non-financial supports will include:
  • a place on Rethink Ireland’s Accelerator Programme
  • bespoke business and capacity building supports designed in consultation with the successful projects on topics such as strategic planning, maximising your impact, communications, storytelling and fundraising.
  • access to Rethink Ireland’s networks.

Eligible Projects

• The project must address a critical social or environmental issue
• The project must be innovative in an Irish context
• The project must be based on the island of Ireland and must make its main impact in the Republic of Ireland
• The project must have potential and a desire to scale or replicate in Ireland (it may also have potential internationally, but this is not a requirement)
• The project must provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way.
• Applicants must come from an entity that has a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, trust, charity.

Eligibility Criteria

• This fund is open to organisations that have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, trust, charity, and other voluntary organisations that meet the following criteria:
• Projects/Organisations will:
  • Focus on young people aged 18-30 who are disadvantaged in the labour market
  • Have a strong focus on the Dublin and/or Cork regions (among others potentially)
  • Take a holistic approach based on the range of barriers to employment for young people
  • Support young people aged 18-30 into quality internship, employment and/or apprenticeship programmes and/or full-time & paid work placements
  • Have the motivation, capacity and a credible plan to scale their services to reach more disadvantaged young people over time
  • Have the service delivery experience and capacity to contribute to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the fund

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following applicants cannot apply?
  • Applicants under 18 years of age
  • Commercial companies, sole traders and individuals
  • Any staff member from Rethink Ireland and their family members. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children.
  • Individuals
  • Statutory or public bodies, companies limited by shares and organisations that are state bodies or agencies that are not registered charities
  • Any consultant currently working with Rethink Ireland

For more information, visit Rethink Ireland.