The Government has allocated €20m, under the Transforming Lives reform process, to be paid in once-off grants to voluntary disability service providers towards achieving additional measurable progress in reforming disability services, to build the capacity of disability organisations, and to improve the quality of life of those who rely on these services.
The new Strengthening Disability Services Fund was announced on 30th October 2020.
Applications for grants will be received and decided in 2020 by a panel of assessors established by the HSE, and funds dispersed to organisations to deliver approved proposals during 2021.
As this is once- off funding, it doesn’t go into any service provider’s funding base, so it needs to be used on once-off expenditure that adds value to what’s already being funded through the existing HSE allocation. Applicants for such funding will be expected to outline how they will achieve such additionality, and the long-term benefit they hope to achieve, e.g. through improving their systems for supporting individuals or delivering services.
Voluntary organisations who have a Service Agreement with the HSE to deliver disability services may apply for funding under the Scheme, which has three strands. Find out more here: Strengthening Disability Services Fund.