Organisation

Established in 1979, our work ranges from grassroots programmes in the youth, education, and community sectors to strategic initiatives supporting political and civil society relationships and cross-border collaboration at central and local government levels.

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EU Project Experience

Substantial experience (several projects)

Co-operation Ireland has extensive experience of developing, delivering, and managing EU-funded projects under the PEACE and INTERREG programmes across the island of Ireland.

Under the current PEACE IV programme we have participated as lead partners/delivery partners in a range of initiatives including:

• Future Innovators (promoting the social economy using a social innovation delivery model)
• Open Doors (supporting inclusion of ex-prisoners/former combatants)
• Youthpact (building capacity and sharing learning to staff involved in the delivery of youth intervention programmes)
• Our Generation (promoting positive mental health and resilience among young people)

as well as delivering a number of smaller youth and community actions.

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We have also engaged in other EU programmes, particularly those focused on international shared learning (Erasmus) and conflict resolution (Daphne), creating partnerships with other NGOs from across Europe.

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EU Funding Goals

We are interested in connecting with like-minded partners from other EU countries to build networks, exchange learning and good practice, and create opportunities for the youth and community groups we work with to engage and collaborate with peers from across Europe.

Based on our current programmes, potential themes for sharing learning and developing youth and community exchanges include climate change, youth social action, digital arts, youth voice in policymaking, capacity building for community leadership, and addressing legacies of conflict. Broader themes and interests for learning exchange include conflict resolution, working with marginalised groups/communities, supporting post-conflict transition, and strengthening community resilience to the influence of organised criminal groups.

We are also interested in partnering with groups to create opportunities for professional development and upskilling, including under the Erasmus programme.

Strengths

We have over 40 years’ experience of developing and delivering innovative programmes to build inter-community relations and promote cross-border co-operation in the youth, education, community, and local government sectors.

We also have extensive expertise in building capacity among marginalised groups/communities and supporting them to participate in peace building.

We have developed comprehensive networks at community, civil society, and government levels and have a reputation for impartiality, professionalism, and integrity which enables us to engage groups from all backgrounds in our programmes.

We also have extensive experience of managing government grant schemes, including as an Intermediary Funding Body for the EU PEACE and INTERREG programmes.