The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s 2023-24 Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme is now open for applications to support projects by civil society and trade unions that promote human rights and equality.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 gives the Commission powers to provide grants to bodies to carry out certain activities to promote human rights and equality in Ireland. In its Strategy Statement 2022-24, the Commission sets out five strategic priorities. From among those strategic priorities, the focus of this year’s grant scheme will be supporting projects that contribute to progressing the priorities:
Grants Scheme Strands
The 2023-24 Grants Scheme’s themes are informed by the Commission’s strategic priorities set out in its Strategy Statement 2022-24. This year the Grants Scheme will support projects under the following strands.
The grants scheme will support projects in two thematic areas:
Strand A: Advancing Access to Justice and Rights
Under this strand, the Commission will support projects that promote access to justice and equip individuals to better understand, claim and vindicate their equality and human rights.
Strand B: Promoting the Eradication of Ableism, Ageism, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, and Transphobia Under this strand, the Commission will support projects that promote the eradication of racism, ableism, ageism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia through public understanding and State action.
Funding Information
Funding of €400,000 is available.
Civil society organisations working to protect or promote equality and human rights can make one application for either a small or general grant, not both:
Small grants of up to €6,000
General grants of up to €20,000
Eligible Activities
Activities eligible for grant support include but are not limited to:
Training and capacity building courses
Education and training resources
Participatory and qualitative research, legal and policy analysis
Conferences, seminars, and workshops
Creative and participatory engagement initiatives
Campaigns and digital resources
Approaches and Outcomes
The Grants Scheme will support approaches under Strand A and B that aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes. It is not necessary for a project to achieve more than one of these outcomes.
Increased awareness and understanding
Build multiplier and advocacy capacity
Foster changes in attitudes and behaviours
Increased evidence to advocate for human rights and equality-based legislation, policies, strategies, practices and service delivery
Improved collaboration between rights-holders/communities and public bodies (duty bearers)
Eligibility Criteria
Civil Society Organisations
The 2023-24 Grants Scheme is open to applications from civil society organizations registered in the Republic of Ireland (it is possible to have a partner in Northern Ireland) that aim to promote human rights and/or equality. This includes national or local community and voluntary organisations, networks, non-governmental organisations, rights-holder groups, area-based community groups, communities of interest groups, and trade unions.
Civil society organisations applying must be registered as a Company with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), and/or be a registered charity.
Other Eligibility Criteria
Applications involving a collaborative partnership between two or more organisations, including public bodies, are welcome. However only a civil society organisation can act as the lead applicant and not a public body. The lead applicant has full financial responsibility for the project and meeting the terms and conditions of any grant awarded as set out in the grant agreement.
The Commission requires audited accounts/financial statements, bank balance details and current Tax Clearance Certificates from shortlisted applicants for review prior to awarding any grant under this scheme.
