Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)

SICAP is the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme. The current programme began on 1 January 2024 and will run until the end of 2028. It replaced SICAP 2018–2023.

SICAP aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality. It does this through Programme Implementers, agencies and companies, who work with the most disadvantaged and the hardest to reach in communities.

The programme is aimed at:

• People living in disadvantaged communities
• People impacted by educational disadvantage
• People living in jobless households or households where the primary income source is low-paid and/or precarious
• People who are long-term unemployed
• People with a criminal history
• Refugees
• International Protection Applicants
• Disabled People/People with Disabilities
• Heads of One-parent Families
• Travellers
• Roma
• Island residents

The programme has two goals that focus on supporting communities and individuals:

• Contribute to Building more Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: Empower groups of individuals, local community groups, networks and social enterprises to address collective community needs.
• Empower Disadvantaged people to Improve the Quality of Their Lives: Support disadvantaged individuals, children and families to progress their formal education and participate in lifelong learning, to progress into employment/ self-employment, and to improve their soft skills and wellbeing.

SICAP is managed by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each local authority area.

Each Local Community Development Committee agrees annual targets for their area based on local needs. They can choose to add a local priority target group to be helped in their area if they think it’s necessary.

The department has engaged Pobal to work on its behalf to manage and oversee the delivery of SICAP nationally.

As a joint initiative the Department and Pobal have been developing a Distance Travelled Tool. The tool, for the SICAP programme, will support SICAP clients to identify and achieve personal goals.

Called My Journey: Distance Travelled Tool, the tool consists of a list of questions that guide people towards identifying their individual needs and planning for their future.

The tool has been developed in collaboration with SICAP clients and the LDCs who provide one-to-one support to them, and has been scientifically validated by Trinity College Dublin.

Throughout 2022 and 2023, the Department of Rural and Community Development undertook an independent review and stakeholder consultation for the SICAP 2018-2023 programme, to inform design of the next programme iteration.

KPMG Future Analytics were contracted to carry out this work and engaged directly with the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) and Local Development Companies (LDCs) to inform them of their involvement in the process. Direct consultation sessions with LCDCs and LDCs took place throughout 2022, with further consultations held with SICAP beneficiaries, Government Departments, State Agencies and Community Organisations.

The design, goals and outputs of SICAP 2024–2028 reflect the views expressed by stakeholders in the various consultations that took place and the recommendations of KPMG’s report, including refinement of Target Groups to prioritise the most disadvantaged in society, implementation of Local Priority Target Groups to allow for greater flexibility in addressing emerging issues in particular areas and a renewed focus on climate action and sustainable approaches to community development, among others.

SICAP is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training Programme 2021 to 2027.

Information on funding allocated by the Department to SICAP can be found here: SICAP Funding Allocations

If you want to find out more information, you can contact the organisation in your local area that runs SICAP. You can find contact details on the Pobal website at the following link: Pobal: SICAP.

You can contact the department unit responsible at this email address: SICAP@drcd.gov.ie