Social Innovation Fund Ireland

Mná na hÉireann – Women of Ireland Fund


Social Innovation Fund Ireland, in partnership with Bank of America and the Department of Rural and Community Development, have announced the Mná na hÉireann – Women of Ireland Fund.


The new fund, which is the first of its kind in Ireland has been established to support charitable and social enterprise organisations that seek to enhance the economic mobility of women, by investing in organisations that provide training, upskilling, education and other services directly to disadvantaged women.
According to figures from the Central Statistics Office Ireland, the gender participation gap in the Irish labour market is one of the widest in Europe, compared to other EU-15 countries. The female labour force participation rate is 14% lower than their male counterparts, despite women making up more than half of third level graduates in Ireland.


In addition to grant funding, successful organisations will receive a place on an Accelerator Programme, which includes bespoke training from experts across the private, non-profit and public sector. Employees from the bank will also provide mentoring and further tailored training to the successful organisations. The Programme is specifically designed to equip charities and social enterprises with the skills to expand their business knowledge, drive growth and strengthen their impact across Ireland.


Social Innovation Fund


Launching the new ‘Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland’ Fund, The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said, “I believe diversity and equality in the workplace lead to better results for employers and businesses and the clients or communities they serve. I am really pleased to see Bank of America collaborating with Social Innovation Fund to provide training and upskilling to women experiencing disadvantage. The €1.8 million fund has the potential to create a lasting impact and transform the lives of the women involved and add value to our society. This initiative also complements the work being done by Government to reduce the gender pay gap in Ireland and ensure greater representation of women across all sectors of Irish society.”


Organisations wishing to apply to the Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Fund, can find details on the Social Innovation Fund website www.socialinnovation.ie

Applications are open until 18th April 2019.