Ireland: a fully inclusive and equitable society and economy, one step closer

The 2021 Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy set out an ambitious 10-year programme to transform adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy in Ireland and raise awareness of the importance of literacy, aiming at:

• increasing in the number of learners engaging with literacy and language support by 20 000, by expanding the range of courses available over the first half of the strategy’s lifetime;
• reducing the number of adults in Ireland with unmet literacy needs, from 18% to 7%;
• reducing the number of adults in Ireland with unmet numeracy needs from 25% to 12%;
• reducing the share of adults in Ireland without basic digital skills from 47% to 20%.

The ALL Collaboration & Innovation Fund, launched by the Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in March 2023, is a EUR 1 million funding call for proposals to support collaborative and innovative activities that address unmet literacy, numeracy or digital literacy needs, develop literacy awareness, and work towards creating a more literacy-friendly society for everyone.

The ALL Collaboration & Innovation Fund encourages partnerships between different types of organisations working on literacy, such as those in education, health, community development, local government, literacy advocacy and NGOs. Public, non-profit, community and voluntary organisations are all eligible to apply to this fund for a maximum of EUR 50 000 each.

The Fund is managed by the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Programme Office, a business unit within SOLAS, the National State Agency for Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. The grant awarded will be dependent on the nature and quality the proposal. It must come from at least two separate entities, with one lead applicant submitting the application. Projects need to be truly innovative and collaborative and must not duplicate existing services. Working together will support those with oftentimes complex unmet literacy needs.

Applicants to the ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund are encouraged first to consult with the Regional Literacy Coordinators in their area. This is to ensure that the project does not have a negative or duplicate impact on existing services and provision.

The strategy provides an opportunity to activate an integrated, collaborative structure, where effective partnership structures at national, regional and local levels with individuals, communities, community-based organisations, employers and businesses, trade unions, the community and voluntary sector, and private and public organisations are integral to achieving its objectives.

Read more

• 2021 Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy
• ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund
• Guidelines for ALL Strategy Collaboration & Innovation Fund. Funding Call 2023