Overview of the Ability Programme Pobal is a not-for-profit company that manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU Ability is co-financed by the Irish Government and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020

Policy Context Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021

Policy Context ESF co-financing under Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-20 PEIL Priority 2-Promoting social inclusion and combating discrimination in the labour market Exchequer funding

Policy context Learning from DACT 2012-2015 Significant benefits to participants in self-confidence, independence, ability to work, health Recommendation for future programme to focus on employability with the potential to progress in the open labour market

Ability Programme Overview Co-financed by European Social Fund and Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Focused on promoting the employability of young people with disabilities (15-29 years of age) and meaningful social roles Ability will promote employment prospects and meaningful social roles for at least 1,000 PWD.

Ability Programme Overview Person centred approaches/planning central to the ethos of the programme Up to €10m available over a 3 year period Ability will support local, county wide, regional and/or national projects of 2-3 years duration Projects must be between €200k and €750k

Young People with Disabilities Ability is targeting young people with disabilities who are between 15 and 29 years of age. A young person may have a physical or sensory disability, acquired disability, intellectual disability, hidden disability, mental health condition or be on the autistic spectrum.

Young People with Disabilities Ability participants must be either: In receipt of disability allowance or invalidity pension; or in receipt Illness benefit for more than 3 months; or Be an existing disability service user/client of the applicant or partner org; or Referred to your project by relevant orgs/services (see list of examples of p.7)

Who can apply? Comm, vol and not-for-profit orgs that support PWD as part of their objectives. Comm, vol and not-for-profit orgs that provide training, pre-employment and/or employment supports as part of their objectives Non-statutory bodies under Sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 Employer networks or other networks of non-statutory bodies

Who can apply? Applicants must have a legal structure One application per lead applicant Local/regional branches of national orgs can only apply as a lead applicant if they have own company structure Partnership applications are welcome A lead applicant may be a project partner in another application Statutory bodies and schools can participate as partners only.

What type of activities can be funded? Projects with a person centred approach Specialised vocational assessments Development of soft skills, confidence and independence Tailored transition programmes Outreach, information & advice, mentoring and pre-employment supports Work preparation initiatives Capacity building with mainstream employment, education and training services and employers

What type of activities cannot be funded? Projects that don’t provide person-centred supports for young PWD Projects that provide training only Projects that only fund social activities Projects that only fund equipment or assistive technology Other activities as set out on page 12 of Information for Applicants document

What costs are eligible? Direct salary costs for workers to deliver projects (only new roles) Sub-contractors included in direct staff costs Employer PRSI, T&S, pension contributions Recruitment costs

What costs are eligible? Programme costs training/facilitation/career guidance materials accreditation fees vocational assessments tools/packages venue/room hire travel costs for participants publicity costs

What costs are eligible? Equipment and Assistive technology for the following purposes…. Specialised vocational assessments Small scale equipment/assistive technology libraries for participants Small scale equipment to facilitate project workers (up to €1k inclusive of VAT per worker) Total sum of equipment/assistive technology capped at €12k for local/county projects, €28k for regional projects and €63k for national projects

Indirect costs Indirect staffing costs and indirect overhead costs are allowed. Capped at max of 7% of total direct costs (excluding equipment costs) Clear justification for indirect costs to be provided in the application

ESF Funding= ESF Rules ESF Target: Minimum 1,000 participants nationally. ESF claim will be reliant on participant data collection in accordance with ESF indicators ESF reporting and use of central IT system ESF audit and evaluation ESF communications and promotion activity direct to participants Timesheets Fixed Asset Register (in case of equipment/assistive technology library)

Programme outputs and outcomes Ability has key programme indicators to capture the numbers of young people supported (outputs) These indicators also chart progression into education, training and employment Applications must demonstrate how they will meet relevant programme outputs and outcomes

Support for Applicants Ability Helpdesk Email: onlinesupport@pobal.ie Telephone: (01) 511 7222