2025

Technological Higher Education Sector 

Targeted Enhancement Fund (TEF)

In June 2025 the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced the launch of a HEA call for applications for a Targeted Enhancement Fund (TEF) for the technological sector and publicly funded specialist colleges. The TEF, which has a funding allocation of €65.8m over a 36-month period starting in 2026 underpins one of the strategic objectives of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, and will provide targeted support for initiatives that are critical to the strategic development of higher education institutions in the technological sector and publicly funded specialist colleges. The TEF will contribute towards the cost of maintaining or initiating enhancement activities that are central to an institution delivering on its mission and strategic plan. 

European Regional Development Fund (TU RISE)

TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (TU RISE) is an €83.68m scheme co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The TU RISE scheme supports research capacity building in higher education institutions in the technological sector, with a focus on institutions enhancing engagement with enterprises in their regions. TU RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027 and the Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.

The purpose of the TU RISE scheme is to establish, strengthen, and systemise research and innovation offices in technological universities (TUs) and institutes of technology (IoTs) to enable greater and more structured engagement with regional enterprises, in particular, small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The benefits of research and innovation offices will be accelerated and cascaded across disciplines and campuses of institutions through staff development at faculty and school level.

Technological Sector Advancement Fund (TSAF)

TSAF is a €50 million fund running over a 30-month period from 1 January 2024 until 30 June 2026, which was announced by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science on 21 December 2023. The fund provides targeted support for initiatives that are critical to the strategic development of the technological sector. TSAF contributes towards the costs of maintaining or initiating new activities that are central to an institution delivering on its mission and strategic plan. In this regard, a key objective of TSAF is to support institutions to mainstream activities that have been supported by previous funding streams, e.g. TUTF, dedicated to the transformation of the technological sector. TSAF also makes provision for initiatives relating to the final stages of the current set of higher education landscape reforms. 

TSAF funding is supporting activities across a number of areas:

• Change Management and Integration
• People and Culture
• Data and Systems
• Engagement
• Students
• System Coherence, Reform and Consolidation

 

National Recovery and Resilience Plan (N-TUTORR)

The National Technological University Transformation for Recovery and Resilience (N-TUTORR) was an innovative collaboration across the technological higher education sector in Ireland to transform the student experience. Funded under Next Generation EU as part of Ireland’s post-pandemic National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the programme ran from May 2022 to December 2024.

N-TUTORR was a national project designed to transform learning, teaching, and assessment by focusing on transforming the student experience. €40m in funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) was invested in the project, which involved all seven higher education institutions in the Irish technological sector. 

The N-TUTORR programme of work was guided by six core themes:

1. Digital Transformation
2. Universal Design for Learning
3. Education for Sustainability
4. Academic Integrity
5. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
6. Employability

and organised across three workstreams:

• Student Empowerment
• Staff Capabilities
• Digital Ecosystems

 

European University Alliances 

The European Universities alliances initiative is part of the European Strategy for universities. The initiative is an integral part of the Erasmus+ programme and is seeking to transform the European higher education landscape by fostering long-term transnational partnerships which promote innovative models for deep inter-university cooperation. 

There are currently thirteen Irish higher education institutions participating in these alliances as full partners and one as an associated partner. Over €10.39 million has been allocated in national funding to full partners, enabling significant progress for these HEIs in their alliance activities.

At the core of the initiative is the creation of joint programmes at bachelor’s, master’s and at PhD level. Already, three Irish higher education institutions are participating in active joint programmes and others are working closely with alliance partners to create similar programmes. Irish HEIs involved in these activities are contributing to the development of interconnected European campuses, introducing innovative practises in governance, research collaboration and student/staff mobility exchanges. By uniting with like-minded institutions, they are embedding the transnational institutional cooperation required to improve the international competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe and to promote European values and identity.

 

Higher Education Capacity Building: Health and Social Care 

The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 requires An tÚdarás to ‘plan for higher education provision and to make recommendations to the Minister on the overall provision of student places’ [S9(1)d] and to ‘support the provision of a range of programmes of higher education and training aimed at meeting [local, regional, and national] educational and skills needs…’ [S9(1)e] [also S34(1)]. 

In 2022, the HEA established a process to identify opportunities in the higher education system to build capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine programmes. This process was designed to respond swiftly to national skills needs by identifying options for programme creation or expansion in academic years 2024-25 or 2025-26. The 2022 process established seven new programmes in Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine. New programmes improve regional provision of programmes, with Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine available in the South East and North West of Ireland for the first time. 

In 2025, a similar process was implemented to expand provision in health and social care programmes that support disability services in Ireland. A total of 461 additional student places have been agreed across the following nine professions: Occupational Therapist; Physiotherapist; Speech & Language Therapist; Chiropodist/Podiatrist; Dietitian; Social Worker; Medical Scientist; Radiation Therapist; Radiographer. 

 

Unified Tertiary System and the National Tertiary Office 

A key strategic goal of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is to develop diverse and progressive pathways for learners in further and higher education. Following a policy announcement in late 2022 concerning the development of a unified tertiary sector, the National Tertiary Office (NTO) was established in early 2023. The purpose of the NTO is to develop new pathways from further education to higher education, which is central to the government’s ambition for a unified tertiary system and to broaden access to higher education.

A unified tertiary sector envisions a system with clearer diverse and progressive pathways facilitating learners to progress from further to higher education with a strong focus on skills development to meet the needs of learners and the economy.

As of 2025, there are 39 tertiary degree courses available, developed by 18 collaborations between higher education institutions (HEIs) and Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Courses are offered in a range of areas, including ICT, Social Work and Tourism. This will see students begin their third-level experience in an ETB and complete it in a partner HEI.

 

Student Assistance Fund 

The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). The SAF is allocated to higher education institutions (HEIs). 

In general, the SAF has a dual focus and is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and provide emergency financial assistance for other students. 

The core allocation for the Student Assistance Fund for 2024/25 was €9.1m including an allocation of €1m for part time students who are lone parents or members of the other target groups under the National Access plan.

In addition to the core funding, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation announced further additional allocations covering accommodation, cost of living expenses, childcare cost for low-income families and Ukrainian refugee students. 

In the 2024/2025 academic year, the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) included a pilot programme with an additional and specific ringfenced allocation under the Dormant Accounts programme. This was utilised to assist students from Traveller and Roma backgrounds and those with experience of the care system with the cost of accommodation, when living independently while attending third level education. The aim is to alleviate the cost of accommodation as a barrier to accessing and progressing through higher education. 

 

National Access Plan (2022-2028)

The fourth National Access Plan: A Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education 2022-2028 was published in August 2022. This Plan follows the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 and the Progress Review of 2018, which extended the objectives of the third Plan to 2021.  The Plan continues and builds on the vision of previous plans and ambitions for a more inclusive and diverse student population in higher education. The ambition of the new National Access Plan extends beyond access to a greater focus on participation and student success. The two overarching ambitions of this Plan are: 

that the higher education student body, at all levels and across all programmes, reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population, and that our higher education institutions are inclusive, universally designed environments which support student success and outcomes, equity and diversity. 

This Plan identifies three main groups who are underrepresented in higher education: students who 

• are socioeconomically disadvantaged;
• are members of Irish Traveller and Roma communities; and
• have disabilities, including intellectual disabilities.

It also sets out four national targets to increase participation by the three core priority groups. These four targets are: (1) New entrants from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, (2) New mature entrants from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, (3) New entrants with a disability and, (4) New entrants from the Traveller community. 

These targets are supported by nine KPIs which are monitored in parallel with the targets to assess progress and trends over the lifetime of the Plan. These KPIs include measures around flexibility in higher education (e.g., participation by part-time/flexible learners; progression from further education to higher education), diversity across programme and levels (e.g., postgraduate study among selected priority groups; student diversity across selected fields of study), access and participation for priority groups (e.g., students with a disability who are supported by the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD); students attending DEIS schools; students who are lone parents), as well as student success and engagement (e.g., progression and completion among selected priority groups; graduate outcomes among selected priority groups).

In April 2025, work on a Mid-term Progress Review of the National Access Plan began. The aim of this review is to assess the progress made in respect of the four targets and nine KPIs outlined in the Plan and to identify where refinements/developments are needed and provide recommendations in this regard. The review is expected to be completed by December 2025.

Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH)

During 2024, the HEA continued its management of the five strands of the PATH programme, a strategic targeted funding scheme supporting the delivery of equity of access objectives in successive National Access Plans. 

PATH 1

The objectives of PATH 1 are to increase the number of students from under-represented groups entering Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and provide more role models for students from these groups. PATH 1 supports a range of new initiatives and partnerships, and it is expected that these activities will result in increased students from under-represented groups participating in ITE programmes. The annual funding allocation for PATH 1 is €900,000. 

PATH 2: 1916 Bursary Fund

In 2024/25, 400 PATH 2 Tier 1 bursaries of €5,000 per annum per year of study, and 200 PATH 2 Tier 2 bursaries of €2,000 per annum per year of study were awarded, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF+). In November 2024, DFHERIS provided additional funding in the amount of €1,188,000 to support 792 PATH 2 Tier 3 bursaries. These bursaries in the amount of €1,500 are provided for a single year of study. 

PATH 3: Higher Education Access Fund

PATH 3 is intended to provide funding to support the development of regional and community partnership strategies for increasing access to higher education by specified groups. This funding has been allocated on a competitive basis to regional clusters of HEIs and is intended to facilitate the attraction and retention of undergraduate students from target groups. It is intended that HEIs will form effective partnerships within their clusters and show evidence of how they will engage with local DEIS schools, further education providers, community and voluntary groups and other relevant stakeholders. 

From September 2025, PATH 3 allocations will be made to individual HEIs rather than the regional clusters which have been superseded by developments in the structural landscape of higher education. Collaboration and regional and community level partnerships will remain central to PATH 3. However, the shift to a HEI-led model will support greater capacity for HEIs to innovate and advance strategic partnerships both within and outside of the region for the benefit of priority group students.

PATH 4 Phase 1 Inclusive Environment

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced a second round of funding under PATH 4 Phase 1 in February 2024. Prior to the launch of the PATH 4 Phase 1 Inclusive Environment Fund in December 2024, additional funding was provided to bring the total investment envelope for the Inclusive Environment Fund to €2,845,750. The purpose of this Fund is to support the implementation of inclusion measures aimed at fostering students’ sense of belonging within higher education environments, including the roll out of sensory maps of college campuses to support autistic learners, Universal Design, and measures to tackle prejudice and racism. €445,750 of the total envelope for the Fund is ringfenced for anti-racism measures against Traveller and Roma students. Measures supported by the funding will be implemented between 2025 and the end of 2026.

PATH 4 Phase 2 

Students with intellectual disabilities are included as a priority group for the first time in the current National Access Plan 2022-2028. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced the pilot roll-out of higher education courses for students with an intellectual disability in February 2024. 

Following an expansion of the scheme in July 2024, courses are being delivered in 11 higher education institutions (HEIs) supported by an investment in excess of €11m over three years as part of PATH 4 Phase 2. 

Programmes across six of the HEIs commenced in Autumn 2024 with an intake of 91 students. Programmes across the remaining five HEIs are due to commence in Spring 2025. Students are being provided with a range of academic and pastoral supports, in addition to funding to support the day-to-day costs of participation. 

Given the importance of capturing and sharing learnings and leveraging expertise across the sector to both enhance the funded programmes and to inform future policy, the HEA will host Community of Practice events twice a year throughout the implementation of the PATH 4 Phase 2 pilot. The HEA hosted the inaugural Community of Practice on 17 October 2024 in Dublin.  PATH 4 Phase 2 was shortlisted for the 9th annual Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Awards under the Citizen Impact and Customer Service category in recognition of the landmark nature of the pilot.

PATH 5

PATH 5 was announced as a key component of the National Access Plan (2022-2028) and was launched in August 2022. The key objective of this funding stream is to enable HEIs to put in place an infrastructure to increase the participation of Traveller and Roma students in Higher Education. PATH 5 will also allow the targets identified as part of the NAP (2022-2028) to be achieved and crucially, will support the setting of higher targets consistent with the plan’s vision. In 2024, funding of €450,000 was allocated across individual HEIs.

 

System Performance Framework 

The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 requires An tÚdarás to ‘measure and assess the performance of designated institutions of higher education with a view to strengthening the performance of the higher education system and the designated institutions of higher education and to ensure their accountability’ [S9(1)k] and to ‘…with the approval of the Minister, prepare and establish a performance framework for the higher education and research system (in this section referred to as a “performance framework”) at intervals of not less than once every 5 years and may publish the performance framework in such manner as it considers appropriate’ [S35(1)].

Throughout 2024, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) engaged with higher education institutions (HEIs) on developing individual Performance Agreements under the System Performance Framework 2023-2028.  Under the framework, HEI Performance Agreements set out objectives and targets aligned with the framework’s four pillars: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Access and Participation, and Engagement. The development of Performance Agreements was an iterative process across 2024, involving bilateral meetings with HEIs.  HEI Performance Agreements were published on the HEA website to coincide with the 2024 round of Strategy and Performance Dialogue which focused on the implementation of performance agreements. Reporting under the Framework will occur annually and commence in 2025 on academic year 2024-2025. This will take the form of self-evaluation reports, and these will be reviewed and discussed in a process of strategy and performance dialogue between the HEA and the institutions. Performance agreements span four years, from September 2024 to August 2028. 

 

Impact Assessment Case Study Process and Performance Funding

HEIs’ annual reporting requirements under the System Performance Framework 2023–2028 includes the submission of an Impact Assessment Case Study (IACS). Impact Assessment Case Studies (IACS) are linked to a positive funding mechanism that supports and recognises excellent performance within the higher education and research system. The purpose of IACS is to:

• Demonstrate the impact of the higher education and research system on society, the environment, and the economy at local, national, and international levels.
• Showcase exemplary HEI initiatives that have contributed to the achievement of national strategy.
• Enhance dissemination of good practice and learning across the system.
• Gather evidence to inform public policymaking and to identify areas for potential further development and investment in the system.
• Inform the allocation of annual performance funding.

 In 2024, a revised Impact Assessment Case Study process was piloted and performance funding awards totalling €5m were granted to the following five HEIs:

• DCU - Anti-Bullying Centre;
• ATU - Addressing Biopharmaceutical Industry needs through focused collaborative Life Sciences education;
• DCU – Inclusive computing: national outreach for teacher training and student empowerment;
• DkIT – Transformative community education: pathways supporting disadvantaged communities to access higher education;
• SETU – Defence Forces: educational pathways for enlisted personnel.

 

Launch of the HEA Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool

The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 requires An tÚdarás to ‘promote and support student engagement and student success in higher education and the attainment by students of a high quality educational experience in higher education [S9(1)b)]. 

In November 2024, the HEA launched its Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool at Trinity College Dublin. Developed for the HEA by a collaborative project team led by Trinity College Dublin and with colleagues from Munster Technological University, University College Cork, and the University of Limerick, the Tool will enable institutions to comprehensively self-assess their work concerning student and staff health and wellbeing, including implementing the HEA Healthy Campus Charter and Framework and the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework. The Tool supports the implementation of the Healthy Campus Process by facilitating a campus-wide needs assessment to identify the health needs of students and staff.

National Reform in Higher Education (HCI and Springboard+) Human Capital Initiative

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is a five-year investment in the higher education system to innovate and reform the system’s ability to respond to national skills needs. It was launched in 2020 and has three pillars of activity.

HCI Pillar 1: Graduate Conversion Programmes. These are one-year, full time conversion courses at Levels 8 and 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications, in areas of identified skills need, building on experience of the ICT Conversion Courses funded under other national initiatives such as Springboard+. From commencement to 2024 HCI Pillar 1 provided 10,573 graduate conversion places on 163 courses over a 4-year period. In 2023 a second call for proposals was published for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The second wave of HCI Pillar 1 courses have a particular focus on areas where there are critical skill shortages in the labour market – responding to twin green and digital transitions. This includes courses on climate, sustainability and renewable energy, as well as Information Technology ; manufacturing and construction; engineering; financial services; medical devices; biopharma; entrepreneurship; and green skills.  By 2025 HCI Pillar 1 has provided 13,914 graduate conversion places on 163 courses over a 5-year period. HCI Pillar 1 courses have a particular focus on areas where there are critical skill shortages in the labour market – responding to twin green and digital transitions. This includes courses on climate, sustainability and renewable energy, as well as Information Technology; manufacturing and construction; engineering; financial services; medical devices; biopharma; entrepreneurship; and green skills.

HCI Pillar 2: Expansion of Existing Places on Undergraduate Courses in high skills needs areas. Pillar 2 has supported 1250 additional graduates in high demand skills areas over a four-year period. These graduates are in high skills needs areas including Computing, Engineering, and Robotics.

 

HCI Pillar 3: Innovation and Agility is focused on the core principle of embedding innovation and agility across a wide spectrum of higher education provision. Twenty-four projects developing innovative, and responsive models of programme delivery, are underway. The projects address a variety of initiatives from the development of national systems for Micro-credentials and Recognition of Prior Learning to developments in course provision in additive manufacturing, cyber security and financial services. These projects have boosted the higher education systems ability to respond rapidly to changes in both skills requirements and technology and strengthen collaboration with enterprise. In 2024, the HCI Programme introduced a fee subsidy programme to subsidise fees for learners across 654 newly developed micro-credential courses. These courses were developed by the 24 HCI Pillar 3 projects and are designed to meet the evolving needs of learners, enterprises, and society, offer small, accredited programs awarding between 1 and 30 ECTS and providing awards at Levels 6-9 on the National Framework of Qualifications. In 2025 the HCI projects report that they have delivered innovations across higher education impacting over 140,000 learners and facilitated 90,000 collaborative enterprise engagements between Higher Education and enterprise.

In 2025, the HCI Programme extended the duration of HCI Pillar 3 projects which have strategic importance in delivering the key OECD Skills Strategy Review objectives for Ireland. These projects address national strategy objectives as detailed in the National Development Plan (NDP), and other national policy objectives including national policies for Climate Action Plan, Housing for All, Harnessing Digital, Skills for biopharma and modern methods for construction skills. These projects will run until December 2026.

 

In 2024, the HCI Programme introduced a fee subsidy programme to subsidise fees for learners across 654 newly developed micro-credential courses. These courses were developed by the 24 HCI Pillar 3 projects and are designed to meet the evolving needs of learners, enterprises, and society, offer small, accredited programs awarding between 1 and 30 ECTS and providing awards at Levels 6-9 on the National Framework of Qualifications. One year post introduction of the subsidy over 5,500 places have been filled and the number of micro-credential courses approved for the HCI subsidy exceeded 800 courses.

Springboard+

Springboard+ 2024 was launched in May 2024 and offered 8,225 places on 248 courses across 31 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).  Courses were in a range of areas with a focus on areas of critical skills shortage and emerging technological demand. The offering included courses in cybersecurity, virtual reality, health innovation, logistics, climate, sustainability and energy. There was no new call for Springboard+ 2024/25 as programmes continued to be funded on a multiannual basis. However, Springboard+ 2024 was the final year of this multiannual funding cycle with a call for proposals due in early 2025. 

Higher education providers, both public and private, were invited to submit programmes for consideration for funding under Springboard+ 2025 in January 2025. Following an independent, competitive assessment process, overseen by a process auditor, a number of programmes were recommended for funding. These were approved for funding by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and were launched in late May 2025.   Applications are currently open, and a total of 7,719 places are available on 249 courses delivered by 37 HEIs nationwide.  Courses are varied across a range of diverse disciplines including new and emerging technologies. Springboard+ 2025 has made 26 ‘micro-credentials’ from this course list available for those interested in shorter courses to upskill in very specific areas. 

Technological Universities Agenda

Continued commitment to supporting the establishment and development of the Technological University sector is demonstrated in the 2025 Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future.  In particular, it commits to continuing to support the sector specific funding; to enable TUs to deliver on skills and innovation by introducing new academic career paths and professorships; and commits to enabling TUs to borrow funds for accommodation provision on-campus.

TSAF was a replacement for the Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF). TSAF is a €50 million fund running over a 30-month period from 1 January 2024 until 30 June 2026, which was announced by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science on 21 December 2023. The fund provides targeted support for initiatives that are critical to the strategic development of the technological sector. TSAF contributes towards the costs of maintaining or initiating new activities that are central to an institution delivering on its mission and strategic plan. In this regard, a key objective of TSAF is to support institutions to mainstream activities that have been supported by previous funding streams, e.g. TUTF, dedicated to the transformation of the technological sector. TSAF also makes provision for initiatives relating to the final stages of the current set of higher education landscape reforms. 

TSAF funding is supporting activities across a number of areas:

• Change Management and Integration
• People and Culture
• Data and Systems
• Engagement
• Students
• System Coherence, Reform and Consolidation

 

In June 2025 the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced the launch of a HEA call for applications for a Targeted Enhancement Fund (TEF) for the technological sector and publicly funded specialist colleges. The TEF, which has a funding allocation of €65.8m over a 36-month period starting in 2026 underpins one of the strategic objectives of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, and will provide targeted support for initiatives that are critical to the strategic development of higher education institutions in the technological sector and publicly funded specialist colleges. The TEF will contribute towards the cost of maintaining or initiating enhancement activities that are central to an institution delivering on its mission and strategic plan.

NRRP Funding

The National Technological University Transformation for Recovery and Resilience (N-TUTORR) was an innovative collaboration across the technological higher education sector in Ireland to transform the student experience. Funded under Next Generation EU as part of Ireland’s post-pandemic National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the programme ran from May 2022 to December 2024.

N-TUTORR was a national project designed to transform learning, teaching, and assessment by focusing on transforming the student experience. €40m in funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) was invested in the project, which involved all seven higher education institutions in the Irish technological sector.

The N-TUTORR programme of work was guided by six core themes:

1. Digital Transformation
2. Universal Design for Learning
3. Education for Sustainability
4. Academic Integrity
5. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
6. Employability and organised across three workstreams:
   1. Student Empowerment
   2. Staff Capabilities
   3. Digital Ecosystems

 

ERDF Funding

TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (TU RISE) is an €83.68m scheme co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The TU RISE scheme supports research capacity building in higher education institutions in the technological sector, with a focus on institutions enhancing engagement with enterprises in their regions. TU RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027 and the Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.

The purpose of the TU RISE scheme is to establish, strengthen, and systemise research and innovation offices in technological universities (TUs) and institutes of technology (IoTs) to enable greater and more structured engagement with regional enterprises, in particular, small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The benefits of research and innovation offices will be accelerated and cascaded across disciplines and campuses of institutions through staff development at faculty and school level.

 

2024

Funding the Future

In May 2022, the Government approved the publication of  Funding the Future, a landmark policy on the future of higher education. Funding the Future establishes a clear commitment to increased and sustainable core funding of the higher education system. The policy was launched in response to the independent report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the various funding options presented in the Cassells Expert Group Report.

A funding gap of €307m has been identified through Funding the Future. It is intended to provide additional funding through the annual budgetary process to eliminate this funding shortfall. Funding for future demographic growth and new policy proposals will be in addition to this..The Government has decided that that a multi-funded model will be be adopted as the funding model for higher education. This would comprise a mix of Exchequer investment, employer contributions through the National Training Fund and student contributions.

Funding the Future sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, a commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing ambitious plans for investment and reform.

This includes –

• planned additional investment of €307 million to address core funding challenges for our institutions, that will be made over a number of years through annual budgetary processes. This does not account for future demographic needs or new policy proposals for higher education.
• plans to consider options to address cost as a barrier to higher education, and how we will pursue funding measures on these issues through the Estimates process, including in respect of reductions to the student contribution and enhancements to the SUSI grant (Student grant) in line with the Student Grant Review.

Funding the Future identifies five priority strands of work on which progress is being made.

• Strand 1: Enhance quality and international standing of the higher education system across the three missions of teaching and learning, research and engagement
• Strand 2: Drive skills and engagement – with a particular focus on essential public services
• Strand 3: Enhancing student participation and success with a focus on under-represented groups
• Strand 4: Create a unified knowledge and skills system which is balanced and integrated
• Strand 5: Address cost as a barrier to higher education and improve student supports

Work on these pillars of reform will be addressed through the Funding the Future Reform and Implementation Group (FFIRG), which is co-chaired by the Minister, Professor Tom Collins and Professor Anne Looney, and its associated working groups. Working group 1, chaired by Professor Looney, is examining how Strand 1 and 4 can be progressed, and Working Group 2, chaired by Professor Tom Collins, is examining how Strand 2, 3 and 5 can be progressed.

The groups comprise membership from sectoral, enterprise, societal and Government/agency representatives, to ensure ongoing consensus on the outcomes required from the higher education system and to oversee progress against identified reforms to take place alongside implementation of the funding model.

Given the strong need for alignment of skills outputs with needs of employers, the National Training Fund will continue to form part of the funding model.  Investment to date through the National Training Fund has made a significant contribution, supporting apprenticeship provision, funding innovative approaches through the Human Capital Initiative and delivering enterprise focused programmes which are responsive to skills needs.  This continued investment is strategically important to the continued agility and responsiveness of higher education to national socio and economic priorities. 

Budget 2023 included €40m for the reform agenda under Funding the Future, with funding being allocated to priority areas identified by the working groups.

National Reform in Higher Education

Springboard was launched in 2011 as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative to provide free and heavily subsidised upskilling and reskilling opportunities through higher education in areas of identified skills need. Since then, it has evolved alongside economic improvements to also address the skills development needs of those already in employment. Springboard+ courses are at Level 6 (Certificate) to Level 9 (Masters) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and are delivered in public and private education facilities around the country. Courses are generally less than a year, and lead to awards at national certificate, national diploma, degree and post graduate level. Full-time intensive conversion courses under the ICT Skills Action Plan also form part of the initiative.

Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and is one of several initiatives designed to meet current and future skill needs of the Irish economy. Funding is allocated to Springboard+ from the National Training Fund (NTF) on an annual basis.  Springboard+ provides free or 90% funded upskilling and reskilling courses to develop the talent base in Ireland in key growth sectors of the economy by supporting those who are unemployed or Returners to gain sustainable employment. In addition, it provides opportunities for workforce development to enhance the skill levels of those in employment and increase the national rate of lifelong learning. Collaboration between enterprise and higher education providers is key to the design and delivery of the programmes.

The programme is unique in that programmes are on offer in both public and private higher education providers. Most programmes are delivered either fully online or in a blended format making them fully accessible.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) was announced as part of Budget 2019 and commenced in 2020, aims to increase capacity in higher education to provide skills-focused programmes designed to meet priority skills needs. Some key HCI objectives are to increase provision in areas of identified skills need; future proof graduates with industry relevant skills for emerging technologies; ensure that there is a greater focus across the whole spectrum of higher education course provision on promoting and embedding transversal skills; and incentivise continued reform and innovation in higher education provision building on best practice available nationally and internationally. The HCI consists of 3 main pillars - graduate conversion and specialisation courses, additional places on undergraduate provision, and an innovation and agility fund.

Pillar 1: Graduate Conversion Programmes

These Graduate Conversion programmes extend the approach currently in place for ICT under Springboard+, offering incentivised places for graduates to reskill in areas of skills shortage and emerging technologies. These are being run alongside, and complementary to, the Springboard+ offerings.

Pillar 2: Expansion of Existing Places on Undergraduate Courses

Pillar 2 provides additional undergraduate student places to address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT, and Professional Construction qualifications.

Pillar 3: Innovation and Agility

This pillar has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund.

Technological Universities Agenda

The Technological Universities Agenda is a commitment in the Programme for Government 2020, following the establishment of Technological University Dublin on 01 January 2019, merging Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology, Tallaght. The development and progression of technological universities (TUs) is an established policy objective of Government in the context of higher education landscape restructuring, research capacity building and socio-economic regional development. It has its genesis in recommendations contained in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 published in 2011. TUs, acting as catalysts for innovation and regional development, bring a range of benefits to their regions and hinterlands including increased FDI and capital investment, research funding, international recognition and enable students, staff, enterprise, business and the wider community to avail of increased opportunities in their own areas which, in turn, stand to reap the rewards of further socio-economic progress.

Beginning in 2020, the Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF) was established, replacing the former TU Landscape Fund, details of which may be seen in the table below:

HEI	HE Landscape Fund (€m rounded) 2013-2019
TU Dublin	13.1
Munster TU	6.3
TÚS: Midlands Midwest	2.0
Atlantic TU	5.9
South East TU	3.7
Dundalk IT	n/a
Dun Laoghaire IADT	n/a
St. Angela’s College Sligo	n/a
IReL (TU Dublin)	n/a
Educampus	n/a
HEA oversight/monitoring	n/a
Totals	31.00

 

 

2023

Springboard+

Now going into its in its thirteenth year, over €350m has been spent on Springboard+ and over 100,000 people have benefited from a Springboard+ course to date.

There was no new call for Springboard+ 2023/24 as programmes are being funded on a multiannual basis. Springboard+ 2023/24 programmes will be launched in Q2 2023 with 8,700 new places on offer.

Human Capital Initiative

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes, was launched in June 2020. These courses are one year, full time conversion courses at Levels 8 and 9, in areas of identified skills need, building on experience of the ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+. To date, HCI Pillar 1 has provided 7,288 graduate conversion places on 95 courses over a 3-year period.

Under HCI Pillar 1 2023 a call for proposals was published to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in January 2023. HCI Pillar 1 2023 is due to launch in Q2 2023. HCI Pillar 1 courses will have a particular focus on areas where there are critical skill shortages in the labour market – responding to twin green and digital transitions. This includes courses on climate, sustainability and renewable energy, as well as ICT; manufacturing and construction; engineering; financial services; medical devices; biopharma; entrepreneurship; and green skills.

To date HCI Pillar 2: Expansion of Existing Places on Undergraduate Courses has delivered some 1000 additional graduates in high skills needs areas.

HCI Pillar 3: Innovation and Agility is focused on the core principle of embedding innovation and agility across a wide spectrum of undergraduate provision. Twenty-four projects developing innovative, and responsive models of programme delivery, are underway. The projects address a variety of initiatives from the development of national systems for Micro Credentials and Recognition of Prior Learning to developments in course provision in additive manufacturing, cyber security and financial services. These projects will boost the higher education systems ability to respond rapidly to changes in both skills requirements and technology and strengthen collaboration with enterprise. The DCU Futures, four-year project will transform the learning of undergraduate students, reconceptualising how we teach, introducing exciting new areas of study, and embedding the digital literacies, disciplinary competencies and transferable skills students will require to thrive in the post-COVID19 world. With industry partnerships, it will establish a structured pathway that focuses on the development of 21st century skills and create capacity for over 1,000 additional students.

Technological Universities Agenda

As of 2023, all of the prospective TUs have been established, with only Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Institute of Arts, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire (IADT) remaining outside the TU landscape at this point in time. Focus is now on continued support of the TUs. While the Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) has expired, additional funding streams have come on-line for the technological sector.

Funding the Future

Budget 2023 saw the first additional allocation under Funding the Future, with €40 million allocated to address identified core underfunding of the higher education system. This allocation includes €17.8 million for the technological sector in support of improving capacity in the technological sector with a focus on strengthening leadership, research, support staff capacity and developing research capacity. This investment is the first significant step in addressing core underfunding of the higher education system in a strategic and reformative way.

NRRP Funding

DFHERIS and the HEA secured €40 million for the period 2022 – 2024 under the National Recovery and Resilience Fund for TU education and training reforms programmes. Grant agreements were signed between the technological higher education sector as a whole (all 5 TUs and DkIT and IADT) and the HEA in April 2022 formalising an approved sectoral approach to the NRRP project and its funding for TU education and training reforms.€19 million was allocated to the HEA for programme disbursement to the NTUTORR consortium (comprising 5 TUs plus DkIT and IADT) in 2022 with the remainder expected to be drawn down in July.

ERDF Funding

DFHERIS and the HEA worked with the Regional Assemblies and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to secure just under €84 million in TU-oriented research funding entitled the TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (RISE) programme over the period of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to 2027. The programme will involve the establishment, equipping and staffing of regional research and innovation offices within the regionally based TUs to enable engagement with local and regional business, industry and enterprise stakeholders. It will also develop researcher human capital in the TUs, including staff development, recruitment, postgraduate training and supervision, networking, and collaborative knowledge-transfer and mobility schemes. The programme has now been approved by the Monitoring Committee and a HEA call for proposal will be examined by the Regional Assemblies shortly.

Student Assistance Fund

The Student Assistance Fund is a critical support, which is allocated by my Department to higher education institutions. The fund has a dual focus. It is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and to provide emergency financial assistance for other students. Students can apply for supports from this fund through their Access Office.

The core funding for the Student Assistance Fund pre-Covid is €9.1 million per annum.  This includes €1 million, which was added to the fund in 2017 for part-time students who are lone parents or members of the other access target groups under the National Access Plan. Prior to that the fund supported full-time students only.

In October 2021, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD announced a total of €17.2 million in student supports for SAF, which included an additional €8.1 million once off Covid-19 package in addition to the core funding of €9.1million.

The supports were provided as part of a €105 million package for Further and Higher Education provided by Government.