# €1 million fund launched for employment projects for ex-offenders in Ireland

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/01/22/e1-million-fund-launched-for-employment-projects-for-ex-offenders-in-ireland/
- Published: 2020-01-22T12:17:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Probation Service in Ireland and Pobal have announced the launch of the Dormant
Accounts Funded (DAF) ‘KickStart’ programme, which aims to enhance the development
and creation of employment opportunities for people with criminal convictions.**

A budget of **€1 million** has been approved for the Probation Service measure to
research or enhance greater employment opportunities in the social enterprise sector
for those with a criminal conviction who find it difficult to access the labour 
market.

The KickStart Fund has two strands:

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 * **Strand 1:** Feasibility Study/Market Research – grants of €5,000 up to €15,000
   to carry out a feasibility study or market research to develop or expand a social
   enterprise.
 * **Strand 2:** Start-up, Development and Job Creation Fund – grants of €20,000
   up to €50,000 to implement actions that will create or maintain employment opportunities.

Social enterprises may submit only one application and cannot apply under both strands.

The deadline for [submission of online applications](http://www.pobal.ie) is **3pm
on 20th February 2020**.

The KickStart Fund was developed jointly by the Probation Service and the Irish 
Prison Service, and forms a key part of the Department of Justice and Equality’s
Social Enterprise Strategy.

DAF is managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development and enables 
unclaimed funds from accounts in credit institutions in Ireland to be used to support:

 * the personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially
   disadvantaged
 * the educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged
 * persons with a disability (within the meaning of the Equal Status Act 2000)