In partnership with The Community Foundation for Ireland, the Bank of Ireland Community Fund supports charities, local community groups, and social enterprises that are building resilience across communities on the island of Ireland.

The fund focuses on future-facing projects that:

• Build capability and foster inclusion among under-served groups
• Drive systemic change to address long-term social challenges

Young Social Innovators, a non-profit organisation empowering young people to develop creative solutions to social challenges, has been awarded a two-year €80,000 grant from the Community Fund.

2025 Grant Round Highlights

In 2025, grants were awarded to 22 impactful initiatives making a real difference in people’s lives across Ireland. These projects support communities disproportionately affected by some of the country’s most pressing issues, as identified by Community Foundation Ireland and ESRI data.

Groups supported include:

• Families and individuals living in or at risk of poverty
• Older people
• People experiencing homelessness
• LGBTQ+ community
• Traveller and Roma communities
• People affected by domestic abuse
• Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees

• Advice NI

  Digi-Know empowers migrants, refugees and asylum seekers with essential digital skills, knowledge and tools that foster social inclusion, independence and access to vital services. For this project, they will recruit eight volunteers from these communities and train them as accredited Digital Champions. Each volunteer will complete the programme with an OCN Level 2 accreditation, a digital tablet and six months of mobile data. In return, each Digital Champion will commit to 25 hours of volunteering. It is estimated that over 2,200 people will better equipped to access trusted information, use vital online systems and engage with welcoming community spaces, as a result of this project.

• Young Social Innovators

  CatalySE empowers young people to drive and own innovations that tackle inequality and climate change, through mentoring, concept funding and peer to peer eco-systems. For this project, they will create invite young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to pitch business ideas to a panel of experts. Successful applicants will be offered the opportunity to apply for further mentoring and financial support to develop them into potential start up social enterprises. Focusing on capability and inclusion, this project will provide participants with the skills to challenge negative narratives, create change and learn essential, real-life skills that will enable them to access more opportunities through employment and entrepreneurship.

• Spraoi Agus Spórt

  ClayLab is an inclusive youth-led creative enterprise that takes young people with disabilities, neurodiversity and mental health challenges, and equips them with the skills and confidence to design, make and sell sustainable ceramic products. Through weekly, youth-led, hands-on workshops in rural Donegal, participants engage in creative training, enterprise development and real-world product sales. The peer support and mentorship provided, allows them to grow in confidence, take creative risks and impact their community through inclusive, enterprise-focused activity. Extra funding will enable ClayLab to purchase additional capital equipment, scale up their product range, create more jobs and ultimately, bring the service to more people and more locations.

• Focus Ireland

  PETE Limerick supports people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness and helps them to overcome barriers to education, training and employment through a flexible and individually-tailored education programme. As well as providing access a variety of courses, one-to-one career guidance and job support, this programme promotes community integration through a variety of community-based activities. The programme also helps develop soft skills designed to build resilience in a competitive jobs market and empower participants to achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves. In 2023, there was a 44.2% increase in the number of adults supported nationally by PETE services. With additional funding, it is hoped to increase this number again.

• Tiglin Challenge

  The Tiglin Challenge is a 12-week course designed to help individuals experiencing homelessness or social exclusion, build a safer, more stable future. Delivered in-person through trauma-informed, interactive workshops, the programme gives participants essential survival skills, including how to stay safe on the streets, navigate public services and care for their physical and mental health. As the course progresses, the focus shifts to long-term reintegration, helping participants build life and interpersonal skills, job readiness, digital literacy and personal development. With additional funding, the Tiglin Challenge can equip more participants with the confidence, resilience and practical knowledge needed to move toward housing, employment, education and meaningful community involvement.

• FIT (Fasttrack Into Information Technology)

  This project is a strategic initiative designed to improve the inclusion and participation of neurodivergent and disabled people in education and employment pathways within the technology sector. The project aims to create system-level change through a multi-faceted approach to accessibility and inclusion. By reducing access barriers and creating a more inclusive environment, the project can open pathways into the tech industry for underrepresented groups. Not only does this project align with national and international commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it also supports broader goals around equity in education, employment and digital inclusion.

• Nasc, The Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre

  This project provides tailored 1:1 career guidance and employment support to Ukrainians in Cork City and County, helping them overcome language and systemic barriers to access meaningful employment or further education opportunities. The holistic and person-centred approach combines cultural understanding, practical support and a strong employer network, to create real, sustainable pathways into the workforce. Each participant receives tailored support that includes CV and interview preparation, jobseeking assistance, confidence-building, and where needed, referrals to English language and upskilling courses. It not only benefits individual participants but also supports broader integration efforts and contributes to a more inclusive, resilient community in Cork.

• Doras

  This project will deliver financial literacy classes for migrant women, by equipping them with practical skills in budgeting, managing income and expenses, understanding entitlements and money-saving techniques. The curriculum is built from the ground up using practical, real-life scenarios that directly address the unique financial challenges faced by refugees/migrants. Unlike general financial education programmes, it assumes that learners may not have a bank account or prior experience managing personal finances. Upon completion, participants will be encouraged to become advocates within their communities, further disseminating financial knowledge and fostering a culture of empowerment, thus extending the reach and value of the project.

• Young Enterprise NI

  This project will create inclusive, accessible tools and resources to support young people with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland, developing life, financial and enterprise skills. Over the course of an academic year, students are empowered to set up and run their own real businesses. Our aim is to embed life and work skills in a way that is fun, inclusive, and practical – while also strengthening teacher capacity to deliver impactful, differentiated education for young people with learning disabilities. The project will directly benefit 175 students and 40 educators across Northern Ireland in its first year, transforming how SEN learners experience education, making it more accessible, inclusive and empowering.

• Helium Arts

  Creative Futures supports young people with lifelong physical health conditions as they transition out of the core age group of 8-16 years. These young people, having built confidence, creative identity and a sense of belonging through other programmes, often face a lack of accessible opportunities to continue their creative journeys into adulthood. Creative Futures will address this gap by offering targeted supports including career clinics, mentorship, guidance and work placements with partners in the creative industries. This programme, which aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Good Health & Wellbeing and Decent Work & Economic Growth, will provide a valuable bridge from creative exploration to real-world opportunities.

• AK Inspired

  The Beezee Body project supports people with intellectual disabilities to set up their own social enterprise, enabling them to develop, market and sell natural honey and beeswax products through local sales and e-commerce platforms. Participants will receive training in various aspects of running a small business, including production techniques, quality control, marketing, sales and financial management. The project will incorporate universal design learning principles, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in training and operations. By providing paid part-time employment, the project will foster independence and self-confidence among individuals with intellectual disabilities and will help reduce the unemployment gap for people with disabilities in Ireland.

• Inner City Enterprise (ICE)

  Entrepreneur Essentials is a 6-week intensive training program designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and confidence to launch their own businesses. Each cohort will benefit from expert-led workshops tailored to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds including the unemployed, local community members, refugees, migrants and new communities. The program delivers a comprehensive curriculum across two key areas: business fundamentals and entrepreneurial mindset. By offering a structured roadmap and practical tools, Entrepreneur Essentials empowers individuals from underrepresented communities to take real steps toward economic independence and self-employment. With this funding, it can continue to foster inclusive entrepreneurship and unlock the potential within communities.

• ECO-UNESCO

  The Green Youth Employability programme supports disadvantaged 18–25-year-olds in Dublin through environmental education, employability training and nature-based well-being to access green job opportunities and sustainable futures. Each eight-week programme covers employability workshops, mentorship and well-being in nature experiences. Alongside developing the employability skills in the young participants, a key emphasis of this programme will be developing soft skills. This will come from 1-2-1 mentoring, creating an individual development plan for the young people, helping to identify their needs and interests and assisting them with any issues. This will increase self-esteem, develop independence and increase the young person’s opportunities for progression to employment and further education.

• Dóchas Midwest Autism Support

  The Autism Print Studio is a transformative employment initiative that empowers individuals on the autism spectrum through meaningful, skills-based work in design and print. By offering tailored training, sensory-friendly environments, and inclusive practices, the studio enables participants to thrive professionally while building confidence and independence. Beyond technical skills, it fosters community, collaboration, and personal growth. Through partnerships with local businesses, it also creates real pathways to employment, challenging stereotypes and promoting neurodiversity in the workforce. The studio is not just a workplace – it’s a platform for empowerment, visibility, and long-term impact.

• Northside Partnership

  The Challenger Programme was set up by Northside Partnership in 1995 to provide structured supports for students and their parents from 6th class to 6th year and encourage a higher number to progress to third level education. The aim of the project is to provide a programme of activities that challenges students to develop to their full potential academically, personally and socially, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and dignity. This approach has proven to be very effective, with 82% of students who started the programme since 2002 completing the programme and staying in school to complete their Leaving Certificate.

• Belvedere Youth Club

  Belvedere Youth Club exists to support and empower children and young people to realise their full potential and take responsibility for social change in their communities. Not only does this prepare them for their future, it benefits the wider inner-city community. BYC is one of the only youth projects in the North East Inner City of Dublin that engages 7-9 year old children. Research has found that there is a gap in services for children of this age and early intervention is key to supporting them. Through contact time, young people are identified and supported to participate in more structured strands of youth work.

• Bolster Community

  The Seniors Living Well & Thriving project will provide friendship, signposting, resources, company and connection to older people throughout the Newry and Mourne area. This project will support vulnerable seniors in getting essential services, change their worries into answers and replace loneliness and isolation with comfort and connection. This proposal will provide a conduit with and between vulnerable seniors, key government and community agencies and the general community to better inform, connect and support those in need. As a small organisation at full capacity, this funding will help leverage resources, engagement and opportunity to deliver realistic and manageable outputs.

• Irish Girl Guides

  This project will involve 50 girls and young women working together for a Hackathon to develop STEM skills using Lego robotics and coding. They will follow the FIRST LEGO League programme, which inspires children and young people to understand and shape the world that they live in, in a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive way. Through this exciting, hands-on, creative STEM programme, participants will gain real-world problem-solving experience through a guided training. This funding will enable the development of innovative new ways to engage the girls and young women in this programme and expand the access to this proven programme by extending the age range.

• Offaly Traveller Movement

  Drive to Opportunity is a focused, practical initiative to support young Travellers aged 17-25 in overcoming a key barrier to progression – the lack of access to a driver’s license. Transport remains one of the greatest obstacles to training, apprenticeships and employment, so this programme has the ability to unlock opportunities that would otherwise remain inaccessible to them. For many participants, this will be the first step toward real independence – allowing them to attend interviews, participate in placements and accept jobs that require travel. However, the benefits go beyond transport, building personal confidence, strengthening engagement with education and encouraging social inclusion.

• Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative

  This project will support local disadvantaged communities within Fermanagh and bordering counties to gain access to essential services for an improved quality of life for them and their families. It will equip participants with the digital skills to ensure they have capacity to log on and access relevant services. Taking away the fear of a computer and building the skills and confidence to access a variety of services, opens new doors for all. Gaining IT skills also provides individuals with the seed that they are still capable of learning and building on their current skills base, which can lead to new voluntary or employment opportunities.

• Teach Oscail FRC

  These programmes will be aimed at individuals who have low-level education, are suffering from mental health or addiction, ex-offenders and care-experienced young people. Participants will be upskilled and supported through education and training placements in order to help them reach their full potential. These education and training placements that will support them into employment in the future, making them less likely to remain on social welfare benefits, which in turn adds value to the community.

• Waterford Youth Industries

  Waterford Youth Training and Education Centre differs from other service provision in Waterford in placing a strong emphasis on vocational training as well as educational programmes. It offers an alternative, achievable training and education path to those who prefer an alternative to the more formal mainstream educational spaces. Learners build friendships and trust with each other and with the caring team that is there to support. Since being established in 1984, over 3,000 learners have achieved terrific results, set themselves up for a career doing something that they enjoy and progressed into employment, PLC programmes and college.

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