Léargas eTwinning Microgrant Scheme

Any activity taking place within the Republic of Ireland before 31 December 2024, that supports school, learner and staff engagement with eTwinning with any of the priorities listed below. The project should involve use of the eTwinning platform and could be centred around online:
• Conference
• Consultation
• Workshop
• Music event
• Art exhibition
• Photo competition
• Thematic meetings
• Campaign
• Information session

The above are just some examples – we want to hear your ideas and support you to make those creative ideas a reality!

Applications will be accepted from small primary schools based in the Republic of Ireland. To be classified as small, a school must have a staff of four mainstream teachers or fewer, as defined by the Department of Education.

When applying for an eTwinning microgrant we will ask applicants to highlight which of the following objectives their project most aligns with:

• The Digital Strategy for Schools 2021-2027, making specific reference to digitalisation in your school

• Use of eTwinning either as a newcomer to the platform or an experienced user

• Contact making and connecting online between schools through use of the eTwinning platform

•Innovation

To be eligible to receive the grant, your project activities must take place in the Republic of Ireland. Projects must be completed by 31 December 2024. A short report must be submitted by 31 January 2025.

The grant received depends on the scale of the idea. Applicants will indicate the estimated cost of the project. There are three bands:
1. Small: €500-€1,500
2. Medium: €1,501-€3,000
3. Large: €3,001-€5,000

The successful school needs to be named for a grant. Financial responsibility and reporting obligations must be with a named school or eligible organisation.

A key part of the assessment of quality for applicants will be the provision of a suitable budget for the activity and a demonstrated ability to effectively manage the grant funding.

No, each school will be eligible for only one grant.

Successful projects will receive 70% of the awarded grant upfront. The final 30% will be allocated after:

• Project activities are completed within the allocated timeline.
• The organisation has submitted a satisfactory final report, documentary evidence and receipts to Léargas.

Only relevant, receipted expenses for approved projects will be accepted. Any pre- financing which was not spent, cannot be evidenced with relevant invoices/receipts, or is not deemed relevant, must be returned. As this is a once off small-scale funding opportunity there is no appeals process.

What types of expenses can the grant cover? 

The grant can cover costs such as room hire, fees for an external speaker or workshop, transport, materials for project use such as stationery and refreshments.

The grant will not cover costs for:
– IT equipment for the running of a project (such as laptops or iPads);
– Staff costs that are usually incurred by the activity of the applicant;
– Operational overheads such as utilities or rent of premises for usual work of the organisation.

If awarded an eTwinning Microgrant, organisations must submit a short report by 31st January 2025.

The final report is a written document explaining what project activities took place and what the outcomes were. The report will include specific questions which you will need to answer. More details about the final report will be provided to successful applicants.

Successful organisations will need to provide evidence that the activity took place, and must also show consistent use of the eTwinning platform. Evidence can be provided in the following formats: blog posts, videos, photographs, social media posts showing your event/project, etc.