Access Europe is a support and capacity-building programme for Irish civil society organisations to better access EU funds and engage in EU policy. It is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and delivered by The Wheel.

The EU provides so many opportunities to its Member States to engage in EU funded projects and activities, and to help build the policy that will shape the future of the Union.

However, there is no escaping the fact that the EU is a massive and complex institution, and so navigating all of these opportunities can be confusing and even impossible for many organisations who don’t have the time or capacity to invest. As such, Irish civil society in particular are missing out on opportunities that could have a transformational impact on their organisations and communities.

This is where Access Europe comes in.

• Information & Awareness: we research the EU funding programmes for civil society and disseminate information. Stay up to date by following us on Facebook and Twitter and signing up to our newsletter.
• Training & Events: we run information and training events around all aspects of accessing and managing EU funding. Check out our News & Events section.
• Helpdesk Support: we provide advice and support to organisations throughout their EU development journey.
• Network Building: we connect Irish civil society organisations with partners all across Europe. Find an Irish civil society organisation for your EU project in our Partner Database.

The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of charities, community groups and social enterprises.