Children’s disability service grant fund

If you offer services or support to children with a disability, you can apply for funding under a new grant scheme.

Grants are open to a number of organisations, including community groups and service providers. The children your organisation serves must be on a waiting list for Children’s Disability Network Team services.

2023 grant funding has now closed. Applications will be evaluated in January.

An approved service providers list will be set up based on successful applications, from which the Children’s Disability Network Managers will draw down supports for their CDNTs’ waitlisted children and families based on prioritised needs.

Successful projects will need to:

  • add value to existing HSE children's disability services
  • state the expected benefit to children

Organisations that can apply

You can apply for funding if you are 1 of the following:

  • Organisation with an existing service arrangement or grant agreement with us.
  • Community group.
  • Voluntary group.
  • Private service provider.

Joint applications 

You can apply with other organisations or community groups. But you need to tell us who is the lead organisation.

Projects we can fund

Projects we fund include:

  • recognised sensory programmes
  • evidence-based therapies such as equine therapy
  • respite - including clubs, evening and weekend sessions, Saturday clubs, sports sessions, activities designed to meet the needs of disabled children
  • additional therapy sessions - for example, for managing distress giving rise to challenging behaviours

We will also fund other types of projects. If you are unsure if your project or service is eligible, contact us by email.

Projects we cannot fund

Funding will not be awarded for:

  • pay increases for staff or management
  • services that are already funded by the HSE, except if it is for additional support to an existing service

If you are proposing an addition to an existing service, you need to show its value.

How we will assess your application

A panel will assess all applications.

They’ll look at it based on the following criteria:

  • quality and coherence of proposal
  • contribution to wellbeing of service users
  • potential lasting impact
  • capacity and sustainability of providers to deliver person-centred services and comply with standards
  • value for money

We may suggest changes to your proposal before we approve it.

If you are successful

We will write to successful applicants from 27 November 2023.

You’ll be able to draw down the first instalment of funding from Monday 11 December 2023.

Grants of more than €25,000

Funding will normally be transferred in 3 stages.

You will receive: 

  • one third of the funding when your proposal is approved
  • one third at an agreed project milestone, and when we get an interim report
  • the balance when we get your final report

Grants of less than €25,000

Grants of less than €25,000 will be made in a single payment.

You do not need to provide an interim report.

Financial and governance requirements

Your organisation’s chief executive (CEO), senior manager or lead will be responsible for governance and delivery of any funded project. 

You will need to assign 1 of your team as project manager. They will be responsible for day-to-day delivery and working with us. 

Your CEO and chairperson will need to sign a service arrangement or grant agreement with us. If an existing agreement is in place, you will need to sign an amended agreement. 

Reports and audit

If you get a grant of more than €25,000 you will need to submit an interim report. You will need to do this before payment of the second instalment. You'll also need to provide a final report.

Accounts of the grant money may be subject to a random audit.

Contact us

If you have any queries, you can contact us by email at disabilityops.socialcare@hse.ie