Supporting social enterprises to achieve impact, growth, and transformative change

Rethink Ireland’s Growth Fund supports proven social innovations to achieve widespread impact and transformative change in Ireland. Through this year’s Growth Fund, we will provide bespoke support to social enterprises who are ready to secure significant growth capital to grow and deepen their impact over several years, to achieve impact on a national scale and become a household name across the country.

Following a rigorous selection process, the following two nominees are currently seeking to secure multi-year philanthropic fundraising targets with support from Rethink Ireland’s Business Development Team:

Nominees:

Bounce Back Recycling:

Bounce Back Recycling provides a mattress collection and recycling service in the Connaught/Ulster region. In 2020 they diverted 20,000 mattresses away from landfill. This has contributed to a greener and more inclusive economy by employing members of the Traveller community. Bounce Back Recycling currently employs 10 staff members and uses its surpluses to co-fund education and health impacts to members of the Traveller community.

Bounce Back Recycling are a 2019 Social Enterprise Development Fund Awardee as well as a member of Rethink Ireland’s Innovator Circle. They are currently looking to secure philanthropic donations of €150,000 per annum for a duration of three years to kickstart their Growth Fund participation. These donations will subsequently be matched by the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. 

Vision for the investment: This multi-year investment will enable Bounce Back Recycling to become a leading national brand that works across the country recycling up to 100,000 mattresses per annum whilst increasing employment opportunities for members of the Traveller community.

If you would like to get in touch regarding Bounce Back Recycling’s fundraising goal please contact Pádraic Vallely at padraic@rethink.reddog.ie 

Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance:

Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance is an approved Housing Body building quality homes and offering them to those who could not afford to buy their own home on the open market. Their goal is to develop and support fully-integrated communities, to deliver well designed, top-quality, energy-efficient homes at an affordable price, and to ensure its model for affordable housing can be replicated and scaled across the country. Ó Cualann is committed to building communities, and believes that integrated, affordable housing can have a transformative effect on wider social issues in Ireland.

Ó Cualann is a 2018 Social Enterprise Development Fund Awardee and has to date completed 68 houses in Dublin, as well as secured approval to build another 292 units across 5 Local Authorities. To support this exciting next stage of growth they are looking to secure philanthropic donations of €200,000 per annum for a duration of three years to kickstart their Growth Fund participation. These donations will subsequently be matched by the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. 

Vision for the investment: This multi-year investment will enable Ó Cualann to build 292 units, commence up to 2,000 units, and inspire model replications that accelerate the Government’s objective of building 20,000 affordable homes by 2025.

If you would like to get in touch regarding Ó Cualann’s fundraising goal please contact Pádraic Vallely at padraic@rethink.reddog.ie