We’re excited to announce that the ESTHER Ireland Programme is now the IGHN Partnerships Programme! Join us as we continue supporting equitable global health partnerships. The 2024 Grant Round will open on 26th November. For further information on the new grant round visit the IGHN Partnerships Programme page on the IGHN website.
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Background and information on grant round 2023
Between 2014 and 2022, with funding from Irish Aid, ESTHER Ireland awarded €482,050.83 through 68 grants, to develop new partnerships or strengthen existing ones.
The 2023 grant scheme is in line with the HSE Global Health Programme Strategic Framework 2022-2024 and part of the Global Health Programme implementation plan. The grants will be administered by the Irish Global Health Network under a service level agreement with the HSE. The programme is supported with funding from Irish Aid.
This round of grants reflects the current global and Irish context, with lessons learned after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also responds to the directions and priorities of the Government’s International Development Policy, A Better World, which was published in 2019. The theme for the 2023 grant call is partnerships that are contributing to health systems strengthening.
As with previous calls, this round of grants will be of two types. Band 1 grants are to support new partnerships, and Band 2 grants are to support established partnerships. ESTHER Ireland welcomes applications from partnerships involving different types of health institutions, including hospitals, primary care services, public health units, education and training organisations, universities, and Government health departments.
NGOs are generally not eligible for ESTHER grants unless they are part of a collaboration with an Irish health service or institution.
The grant application process will run for over 7 weeks, with applications accepted up to 7 July 2023.
Note: Funding is limited, and is subject to availability. Proposed dates for disbursement cannot be guaranteed and may be subject to delays or changes.
Band 1: New Partnership Grants
Irish health organisations and institutions are eligible to apply for a Band 1 grant to facilitate the development of a new link or partnership with a counterpart organisation or institution in a low- or middle-income country.
In the context of this programme, we consider a new partnership to be one that has recently started to work together or has not yet started working together but has taken preliminary steps. It should demonstrate a commitment to adhere to the ESTHER Principles of Quality of Partnerships.
Intended outcomes from activities implemented under this scheme could include:
- Formalising an agreement such as an MOU between partners
- Developing a shared vision and action plan.
Grants must be spent within 12 months of disbursement.
The ceiling for Band 1 grants is €8,000.
Band 2: Established Partnership Grants
Applications are invited from Irish health institutions and organisations engaged in established health partnerships. We consider an established partnership to be one that has been working together for more than a year and has been formalised, such as through a Memorandum of Understanding. Partnerships must demonstrate clear evidence of quality of partnership, such as receiving ESTHER Accreditation for Quality of Partnership.
Partnerships may apply for grants to:
- Implement small scale innovations or pilot
- Undertake activities that strengthen the working relationship between the partners (e.g. exchange visits, stakeholder meetings, communication systems).
- Build capacity within the existing partnership to enable it to initiate and implement projects and programmes (e.g. skills building workshops).
Grants must be spent within 12 months of disbursement.
The ceiling for Band 2 grants is €8,000.
Download the Application Guidelines
Grant Information Webinar
The ESTHER Ireland team delivered a WEBINAR in 2023to provide support and guidance to new and existing partnerships on the new grant round. The webinar provided information on grant topics including eligibility, the application and review process, monitoring your partnership activities, and principles of good partnerships.
Application Process
If you wish to apply directly for one of our grants please log in or sign up to the online grant platform, Common Grant Application, and complete the online application procedure.
The below video provides a step by step guide on completing one of our online application forms. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
