IS Fund Guidelines

Application Criteria

Evaluation Process

IS Fund Evaluators QCS Commitments

Funding Arrangements

IS Fund Recipient Commitments

Sponsor Guidelines

Application Form

Application Criteria

Your proposed initiative must progress the objectives set out in the Governments Action Plan on the Information Society New Connections.  You will be required to articulate how this is the case.  

All applications for funding from the Information Society Fund must be made by or through a Government Department/Office. Thus, if you are an independent Body or are not under the aegis of a Department, you need a Government Department to sponsor your proposal prior to submitting it for evaluation. Please refer to the Sponsor Guidelines for Departments.

Where projects involve, or would properly involve, more than one Department, the application should be jointly made on behalf of all of the Departments concerned. Extra recognition may be given in cases where several Departments/Offices are co-operating together to progress the initiative in question.

All applications for funding must be submitted on the official Application Form , which is available below. This should be submitted via eMail only addressed to the Chair of the Information Society Fund at the following address: isfund@finance.gov.ie 

Evaluation Process

An Evaluation Board comprising representatives from the Department of Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach will assess applications.

In evaluating projects, the Evaluation Board will assess: 

• the completeness of the information provided in the Application Form.   
  

• the case made for the projects contribution to the progression of objectives set out in the Governments Action Plan on the Information society, New Connections.  Applicants should outline clearly, specifically and tangibly how this is the case.
  

• Projects must fit within the Public Services Broker Model and the emerging frameworks for Reach, in relation to the Personal Public Services Number (PPSN), and the Business Number framework.
  

• the impact the deliverables will make as regards:
  Ø       the improvement relative to the status quo for end users;
  Ø       the number of end users who will benefit;
  Ø       the frequency of use of the service by end users;
  Ø       the likelihood of the initiative substantially improving eInclusion.    
  

• Substantiation of claims in terms of quantifiable tangible benefits and provision of examples will greatly facilitate an appreciation of the merits of the proposed initiative.    
  

• As resources are limited, projects will be evaluated in the context of how well the deliverables of your proposal rate relative to the competing initiatives for available resources. Value for Money considerations will be assessed and costs will be weighed in terms of the evidenced benefits. You are thus strongly advised to be specific, cite tangibles and give examples wherever possible. Evaluators will give credit only where a case has been demonstrably made.
  

• Where appropriate, proposals must comply with the emerging common standards for electronic signatures and electronic certificates.  

Please note that funding under the Information Society Fund will not be considered for:

• Projects/initiatives which should normally be part of the Department's ordinary running costs, including IT spending, which even though they may be new initiatives, do not demonstrably progress the objectives set out in the Action Plan.

• Web site development, unless demonstrably encompassing innovative aspects deemed by the Board to be significant, in particular with a strong or innovative Government to customer focus.

•  Initiatives which would more appropriately be funded from another source, such as the Change Management Fund or other appropriate funds or budgets. 

IS Fund Evaluators QCS Commitments

Upon receipt of the completed Application Form the IS Fund Evaluators will:-

• reply to the initial application within 6 working days. The reply will be an 
  * acknowledgement, and/or one of the following:
       -    request for further information/clarification; 
       -    arrangement of a meeting with project proposers and sponsors; 
       -    decline or refer elsewhere.  
  

• issue a recommendation, or convene a meeting of the Evaluation Board to consider the proposal within 15 Working days of receipt of satisfactorily complete information;   

• issue formal written notification of the outcome of the Evaluation Board deliberations on the application within 4 working days of the decision being taken/agreed. 

Funding Arrangements

The Evaluation Board will issue any recommendations for funding to the IT Control Section within CMOD for their consideration.

While the IT Control Section may or may not sanction funding to the level recommended it should be noted that funding will, in any event, be dependent on Departments having formal and appropriate arrangements in place for (i) the control of business projects and achieving expected impacts; and, (ii) monitoring compliance with the administrative procedures relating to delegation and procurement, in accordance with Department of Finance Circular 16/97 "New Delegation Arrangements for IT-related Expenditure".

Payment to Departments

It should be noted that payments from the Information Society Fund will in all cases only be made to/through a relevant Government Department on the basis of vouched expenditure up to a maximum of the amount sanctioned.

IS Fund Recipient Commitments  

All recipients of IS funding must submit written progress reports to the IS Fund Evaluation Team twice yearly on/by 31 May and on/by 30 November.   

All projects in receipt of IS funding are required to feature the IS Fund logo and acknowledge the IS Fund in all publications or publicity associated with their initiative.   

Sponsor Guidelines 

It is a matter for Government Departments to satisfy themselves that the proposed initiative is consistent with their policy objectives. On being approached by a proposer in relation to sponsoring a particular project a Department may wish to enter into discussion with him/her regarding further development and/or refinement of the proposal to ensure its consistency.   

As a sponsor you should be satisfied that the project:  

-          is desirable, i.e. fits with/contributes to your Departments objectives/priorities;

-          is viable and represents reasonable value for money;

-          complies with all other application and evaluation criteria set out in the IS Fund Guidelines.    

As a project sponsor you agree to:  

-          keep an oversight on the project and ensure that it develops as envisaged;

-          attend meetings if necessary with the IS Fund Evaluation Team and project proposersto discuss the project;

-          ensure that two written status reports are submitted to the IS Fund Evaluation Team on/by 31 May and on/by 30 November each year by the project proposers;

-         facilitatepayments through your Department from the Information Society Fund on the basis of vouched expenditure up to a maximum of the amount sanctioned.  

If, having taken account of the above, you wish to put forward the project proposal for consideration by the IS Fund Evaluation Team, you should decide whether the funding requested will come from your own Departments IS Fund voted expenditure (if applicable) or from the IS Fund Central Allocation, which is managed by the Department of Finance.  

Instructions regarding the Financial Arrangements that will need to be put in place if a project is to be funded from the Central Fund will be supplied to you on request from CMOD, Department of Finance.