The Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2021-22 is now open for applications.

Grants of up to €6,000 and general grants of up to €20,000 will be awarded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) to support activities under three strands:

• Advancing social and economic rights, and equality,
• Combatting racism and racial discrimination,
• Progressing the rights of people with disabilities.

The scheme is open to civil society organisations, rights-holder and community-led groups, and trade unions.

Applicants must bring forward proposals on empowering people and communities to understand and claim their rights, and be part of decision-making that affects them.

At risk of discrimination

This includes people at risk of discrimination protected under the nine grounds of Ireland’s equality legislation: gender, civil status, family status, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion, and membership of the Traveller community and people at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

Activities that the Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2021-22 supports include:

• Participatory education and training activities,
• Projects focused on engaging people in shaping policy and legislation reform,
• Conferences, seminars and roundtables,
• Campaigns and print or digital tools,
• Participatory research and policy analysis,
• Monitoring compliance of public bodies with human rights and equality standards.

Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, stated:

“Projects that have received funding in previous years include research programmes, training or resource activities, conferences or events and cultural initiatives.”

The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday, 22 April at 4pm.