Funding - EU - ERF


European Refugee Fund


1. Purpose

The general objective of the European Refugee Fund (applicable from 1 January 2008) is to support and improve the efforts of Member States
to receive refugees, displaced persons and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection,
to apply fair and effective asylum procedures and

a		to promote good practices in the field of asylum so as to protect the rights of persons requiring international protection and enable Member States’ asylum systems to work efficiently

2. National programmes

On the basis of Community strategic guidelines and in dialogue with the Commission, each beneficiary Member State will develop their own multi-annual programming strategy (2008 – 2013) on the use of the resources they receive each year. The strategy will constitute the framework for the implementation of actions through annual programmes.

Please click here for the latest information on the

ERF Legal Decisions/Implementation Rules/Annex XI Rules on Eligibility of Expenditure

ERF Model Multi-Annual Programme.

ERF 2009 Annual Programme.

The rate of European Community co-financing applicable to Ireland is generally 50% but, for actions implementing specific priorities of the strategic guidelines, 75% of the cost can be met by the Fund. The remainder of the cost is borne by the promoter of the assisted project.

2009 Call for Applications

In November 2009, applications for funding were invited from Community and Voluntary/Non-Government Organisations (including minority ethnic led organisations) at national, regional or local level, Integrated Local Development Companies, Urban Partnerships, Local Authorities and other public sector organisations. Pobal manages the present Fund on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Integration.

The ERF is a co-funding measure. ERF contributions must be matched by funding from other non-EU sources.

Pobal organised four information sessions on the ERF and EIF 2009 Calls for Funding. For more information on these sessions, please scroll down to: ERF & EIF 2009 Call for Applications – Regional Information Sessions.

Please see Guidelines, Appendices and Application Form below:

The deadline for applications was 5pm on Friday 26th February 2010.

For further queries, please contact either Ronan Tierney on (01) 5117124 /. or Ciara Flanagan on (01) 5117286 / .


ERF and EIF 2009 Call for Applications – Regional Information Sessions

Pobal ran four regional information sessions, which were open to all groups interested in applying to the ERF and/or EIF 2009.
The Seminars took place on the following dates:
  • Monday 11th January, 11am – Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel, Ormonde Street, Kilkenny
  • Wednesday 13th January, 11am – Holiday Inn, 98-107 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
  • Thursday 14th January, 2pm – Sligo City Hotel, Quay Street, Sligo
  • Tuesday 19th January, 2pm – Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick





3. European Refugee Fund - Community actions - 2009 Call for proposals

In relation to the European Refugee Fund (ERF), the European Commission adopts each year an annual work programme and issues a call for proposals and/or tenders for transnational actions and actions in the interest of the Community (i.e. Community actions). On 30 September 2009 the Commission published its latest call for proposals under the ERF Community actions 2009 with a deadline to answer the call of 30 November 2009. This deadline was then extended by the Commission to 18 December 2009. All documents related to the call for proposals are available on this page of the EU website.

The European Commission is responsible directly for the management of the actions and selection of proposals and all enquiries regarding this call should be made directly to the Commission at .




4. List of beneficiaries of ERF Funding under the 2008 Call for Applications.

SPIRASI €60,000
Doras Luimni €99,032
Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative (KASI) €77,726
Galway Refugee Support Group €110,153.65
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre €52,000
Irish Family Planning Association (in collaboration with Akidwa) €75,000
Vincentian Refugee Centre (Fáilte Balbriggan) €86,652
(Source of Table : www.pobal.ie) [


List of beneficiaries under the 2009 Call for Applications is not yet available (May 2010).


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