The REACH Fund in 2025 is focusing on improving key capacity and supports by:
- Projects that help more people from the REACH fund target groups get involved in learning programmes that either offer qualifications at NFQ levels 1 to 3 or lead to such qualifications, or non-accredited programmes.
- Projects that help learners take part in community education programmes, through mentoring, supporting access with transportation, or respond to specific urgent educational needs.
- Projects that focus on teaching about climate justice, sustainable development, and climate awareness.
- Projects that reach out to and support the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups through educational initiatives.
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Application form (Word)SOLAS - REACH Fund Guidelines
Closing date:
5pm, 21 March 2025
Email queries to:
REACH Fund in Tipperary
REACH 2025 community education and target groups
REACH funding aims to support educationally disadvantaged learners in accessing and participating in community education.
As per the Community Education Framework, from a Community Education perspective there are three core targets that ETBs will be expected to make further contributions to:
- Widening participation by key target groups.
- Increasing overall engagement in lifelong learning.
- Growing accreditation of learner outcomes at Levels 1 to 3 on the NFQ, while respecting the need for unaccredited provision.
The key target groups for REACH funding, in line with those identified in the Community Education Framework, are:
- Learners under 25 years of age,
- Long-term unemployed,
- People with disabilities,
- Migrants and refugees.
Other priority target groups:
- Early school leavers,
- Members of the Traveller and Roma communities,
- Women wishing to return to the labour market,
- Lone parents,
- People who are educationally, economically or socially disadvantaged,
- People impacted by mental health issues or addiction,
- Women’s groups and men’s groups,
- People impacted by homelessness,
- Carers,
- LGBTQIA,
- Older people.
