Have you piloted your solution and proven its impact? The Impact Programme supports social entrepreneurs who are ready to build stronger foundations to ensure they thrive and identify their route to scaling for greatest impact.
Impact Programme
Supporting social entrepreneurs strengthen their foundations and scale their solution for long-term impact.
Applications Now Open until midnight 1st May 2025 (deadline extended).
Overview
The Impact Programme is a nine-month journey designed to help social entrepreneurs strengthen their foundations and identify where they can have their greatest impact. Through expert mentorship, tailored consultancy, and unrestricted funding of €20,000, we provide the critical supports needed to help you thrive.
The programme focuses on four key areas: building a stronger organisation, developing resilient leadership, amplifying your voice, and creating long-lasting social change. Whether it’s refining your strategy, strengthening governance, or expanding your reach, we work with you to identify your biggest opportunities for growth and impact. Join Ireland’s largest community of social entrepreneurs and take your impact to the next level.
Support
The programme provides targeted support and engagement through a series of structured activities: Discovery sessions to get to know each other, the team in SEI and your story; Co-Design days to collectively plan the programme; Group sessions including workshops and work discussion groups; Individual Supports including coaching, mentoring and consultancy. These sessions are facilitated by members of our team and wider community including our supporters, fellow support organisations, partners, funders and sector expert consultants.
All activities are aligned with four focus areas:
- Stronger Organisation: Training, advice and support in areas related to improving an organisation’s structure, operational capacity, solution delivery, financial capacity and impact measurement.
- Resilient Leaders: Leadership development and growth to strengthen the resilience and adaptability of social entrepreneurs.
- Impactful Voice: Connecting and communicating with a range of stakeholders.
- Long-Lasting Social Change: Tackling the problem, not just delivering the solution including networking building and collaborations within the eco-system.
Time-commitment
The programme is designed to be flexible and tailored to individual needs. Awardees will engage in approximately 2-4 days per month, participating in a mix of 1:1 meetings, expert-led workshops, and collaborative group sessions. As the programme progresses, time commitments may increase, particularly as participants work toward tangible deliverables.
Funding
- Each awardee receives €20,000 in unrestricted funding.
- Funding can be allocated to scaling needs such as team expansion, legal structuring, and strategic marketing.
- Participants access additional supports worth €20,000-€30,000 per organisation, including expert consultancy, leadership development, and bespoke training.
Who is eligible?
You and Your Organisation
- You are 18 years or over
- You have identified a social or environmental issue and developed an effective solution to address it
- The primary activities of your organisation are based in Ireland
- Your project/organisation is legally incorporated, registered with a recognised legal structure or as a sole trader
- You are the founder or co-founder of this idea or organisation
- You have been actively delivering your solution (either as a sole trader or legally incorporated) for 12 months or more
- You have concrete evidence demonstrating the measurable impact of your organisation on your target beneficiaries/audience
- Your current time commitment to your project/organisation is either part-time or full-time
- You are aiming to significantly grow or scale your organisation in the next 3 years
Your Time Commitment and Expectations with the Impact Programme
- You have read the expectations of the programme and agree to the commitment as outlined in the Impact Programme Applicant Guide
- You are able to commit to working a minimum of 20 hours a week on your project/organisation for at least the duration of the Programme
- You are able to commit to engaging with the Programme for the equivalent of 2 to 4 days per month (including approximately one full day in-person workshop, online groups sessions, individual check-ins and bespoke individual supports)
- You are able to commit to attending mandatory Selection Process events outlined in the Applicant Guide
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and we are committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or religion. (The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018)
