Press release
Tánaiste announces new round of funding for cross-border projects
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Tánaiste Micheál Martin today announced an open call for applications for the latest round of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Shared Island Civic Society Fund. The Tánaiste also announced the list of successful organisations who have received support through the first round, published earlier this year.
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund is a €3 million initiative, which promotes practical North South cooperation and engagement, across a range of sectors and themes, consistent with the objectives and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement. The next round of funding, which will allocate up to €1 million, will accept applications from Monday 25 September 2023.
Announcing the grants, the Tánaiste said:
"I am delighted to announce the opening of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund for new applications from next week. This follows on from the successful conclusion of the first round of funding. Twenty cross-border projects have received support in an exciting first step for the initiative. These projects will support civil society and community groups to form new and interesting collaborations, strengthen existing partnerships and work on cross-border connections."
The Tánaiste also spoke of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ plans for future funding calls under the Shared Island Civic Society Fund:
"I am pleased to confirm that we are doubling the level of support available through the Shared Island Civic Society Fund in this new call for proposals. There was an extremely high level of interest in the first round of the fund, which clearly illustrates a real appetite among civic society groups, North and South, for increased cross-border cooperation."
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund, which has been developed as part of the government’s Shared Island initiative and supported through the Shared Island Fund, has provided €500,000 to cross-border projects in its initial round of funding earlier this year.
Funding was awarded to twenty projects across a broad range of sectors and themes, including in the areas of climate/environment, community development, heritage, social enterprise, charity/voluntary, and sports. Each of these projects have a strong North South dimension and will facilitate the development of new cross-border links, the strengthening of existing relationships, or the broadening of North South connectivity on issues of common concern for civic society groups on both sides of the border.
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund was launched in January 2023 to promote practical North South cooperation and engagement across a range of sectors and themes, consistent with the objectives and the commitments of the Good Friday Agreement.
Applications are required to have a clear North South dimension, involving cross-border partners collaborating on a project to strengthen North South civic, economic, cultural, and/or political links.
The latest round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund will accept applications from Monday 25 September 2023 to Monday 23 October with total funding available of up to €1 million.
The initial round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund took place earlier this year. A full list of organisations being supported through the Shared Island Civic Society Fund in 2023 is below.
| Applicant | Partner | Project title | Amount |
| Active Disability Ireland | Disability Sport NI | Shared Island collaborations to supporting active and healthy lifestyles for people with disabilities | €24,000 |
| Angel Eyes NI | FEACH | Education Access in Ireland | €9,988 |
| Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA) | N/A | Creating an All-Island Forum to Develop Expertise amongst the Visitor Experience and Attractions Sector, North and South | €4,500 |
| AwakenHub | N/A | The Awakening – AwakenHub’s inaugural in person all island of Ireland Summit & Launch of 'AwakenTribe' Community Platform | €35,500 |
| Axis Ballymun | East Belfast Mission | Rising Tide: Ballymun & East Belfast | €25,000 |
| Burrenbeo Trust | Nature Friendly Farming Network | Farming for Nature Ambassadors Northern Ireland | €25,100 |
| County Down Rural Community Network | Irish Men’s Shed Association | Shared Learning – Men’s Shed project | €25,000 |
| Fórsa | Unison NI | North-South Health and Social Care Professionals Conference | €25,000 |
| Irish Environmental Network | Northern Ireland Environment Link | Linking the Environment North and South (LENS): All-island Civil Society Forum on the Environment | €34,950 |
| Irish Heritage Trust | Newpoint Players | Shared Island Heritage Forum: North and South | €19,520 |
| Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark Project (Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach Teo) | Newry Mourne and Down District Council (Mourne Gullion Strangford) | Growing Our Shared Island Geoparks | €17,320 |
| LGBT Support and Advocacy Network Ireland | Rainbow Health | All Ireland LGBTQIA+ Forum | €25,000 |
| Linking Generations NI | Fingal County Council | Removing Barriers of Geography and Age | €9,920 |
| Midlands Science | Goliath Trust | Sharing Accessible Science Outreach | €25,000 |
| National Women’s Council of Ireland | Women’s Aid Federation NI | Practical North South Cooperation to tackle Violence Against Women from a Civic Society Perspective | €37,790 |
| Newry Credit Union | Crossmaglen, Dundalk, and Lurgan Credit Unions | MY-CU Financial Education Program | €24,000 |
| Rural Action | Irish Rural Link | Synergy Rural Collaboration Project | €37,385 |
| Spraoi agus Spórt Family Centre | Sólás | Families Reaching Out Group | €20,251 |
| The Wheel | NICVA | iCommunity: Continuing the Conversation | €49,872 |
| Volunteer Ireland | Volunteer Now | Building Better Systems: Leadership Innovation Lab | €24,850 |