Please read the following information in full before making an application. To be considered eligible for a place on a Springboard+ course, you will need to:
Click on one of the categories below to read more about the conditions and requirements for eligibility, including what you will need to do to confirm your status.
Springboard+: If you are currently employed or self-employed and you meet the eligibility criteria in points 1 to 4 above, you can apply to any of the available Springboard+ courses.
Springboard+: If you are applying to a course at Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), your fees will be covered in full. For courses at Levels 7 to 9, you or your employer will need to pay 10% of the course fee.
Micro-credential courses are funded at 50% at all NFQ levels. The remaining 50% of the fee will need to be paid by you or your employer.
Working Family Payment and Community Employment Scheme
If you are in receipt of the Working Family Paymentor on a Community Employment Scheme, your fees will be covered in full, regardless of the course NFQ Level, but you should discuss your intention to take a Springboard+ course with your DSP Employment Personal Adviser before making an application, as only they can confirm that enrolling on a course will not affect your DSP payment.
If you are in receipt of WFP or participating on a CE Scheme, you should select “Employed” as your employment (application) status when making an application.
You will need to provide official documentation, dated no more than 6-weeks before course start date and not after, that clearly shows you are either employed or self-employed. This can be one of the following:
| Employed | Self-Employed |
|---|---|
| Recent payslip (with salary figures redacted) | Dated Revenue documentation confirming self-employed |
| Dated letter from employer on official headed paper | Dated letter from accountant on official headed paper |
| Dated contract of employment on official headed paper (with sensitive information redacted) |
You will still need to meet the entry requirements of the course you are applying to. These are listed in individual course descriptions when you search a course on our website.
You might not be able to apply if you have been unsuccessful on a Springboard+ course in the past. See our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
Springboard+: If you recently graduated from a Level 8 full-time honours degree course, you would need to wait one year from your graduation date before you are eligible to enrol on a Level 9 Springboard+ course.
IMPORTANT:
It is important to discuss your intention to apply for a Springboard+ course with your DSP Employment Personal Advisor before making an application. Only they can confirm that taking a course will not affect your DSP payment.
If you are not currently working, receiving a qualifying payment from the Department of Social Protection (unless you are formerly self-employed), actively seeking employment, and you meet the eligibility criteria in points 1 and 2 above, you can apply for the majority of available Springboard+ courses.
Working Family Payment is also a qualifying DSP payment; please see the Employed category for more details.
Community Employment Scheme is also a qualifying DSP work scheme/payment; please see the Employed category for more details.
If you are formerly self-employed, you do not need to be in receipt of a qualifying DSP payment.
If eligible, your fees will be covered in full.
Micro-credential courses are funded at 50% at all NFQ levels. The remaining 50% of the fee will need to be paid by you or your employer.
Unemployed applicants will need to provide official documentation, dated no more than 2-weeks before the course start date and not after, that clearly shows they are unemployed. This can be one of the following:
| Unemployed |
|---|
| Letter from DSP confirming qualifying payment on official headed paper |
| Statement from DSP or MyWelfare showing name, address, PPSN and qualifying DSP payment type |
Formerly Self-Employed applicants will need to provide official documentation, dated no more than 6-weeks before the course start date and not after, that clearly shows they are formerly self-employed. This can be one of the following:
| Formerly Self-Employed |
|---|
| An official letter/statement from Revenue confirming you are no longer trading or a similar letter from your (former) accountant |
| A sworn declaration stating you are no longer self-employed |
Full-time courses: For full-time Springboard+ skills conversion courses, you will need to have been on a Jobseekers payment for at least 9 months. Periods spent on any qualifying payment and periods on other schemes/payments which are not broken by more than 12 months (52 weeks) can be combined in determining if an applicant satisfied the qualifying period condition.
You will still need to meet the entry requirements of the course you are applying to. These are listed in individual course descriptions when you search a course on our website.
You might not be able to apply if you have been unsuccessful on a Springboard+ course in the past. See our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
Sprinboard+: If you recently graduated from a Level 8 full-time honours degree course, you would need to wait one year from your graduation date before you are eligible to enrol on a Level 9 Springboard+ course.
All applicants offered a course place will be required to complete a compulsory questionnaire.
If you are a homemaker, on other caring duties, or economically dependent on a partner/spouse for at least 9 of the last 12 months and you meet the eligibility criteria in points 1 to 4 above, you can apply to any of the available Springboard+ courses.
If you are in receipt of any income of your own, including a DSP payment (with the exception of Children's Allowance), you are not eligible to apply as a Returner.
If eligible, your fees will be covered in full.
Micro-credential courses are funded at 50% at all NFQ levels. The remaining 50% of the fee will need to be paid by you or your employer.
You will need to download a Returner's Declaration and sign it before a Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner, or Notary. This declaration must be signed & dated no more than 6-weeks before and not after the course start date.
For your information, the Returner’s Declaration confirms the following eligibility criteria:
Note 1: All applicants who are in receipt of a qualifying DSP payment (listed in the “Unemployed” tab on this page) are not expected to demonstrate that they meet the nationality or residency requirements above. For clarity, all Unemployed applicants must hold a valid PPSN, be living full-time in the Republic of Ireland, and be in receipt of a qualifying DSP payment at course commencement to be eligible.
Note 2: Unemployed applicants should consult their Employment Personal Advisor before applying for a Springboard+ course, as only they can confirm that enrolling on a course will not affect a DSP payment.
Note 3: Ukrainian applicants who are in employment or returning to the workforce, including those under Temporary Protection and in receipt of a Temporary Protection Letter, must meet the residency requirement, i.e. have lived in the EU/ EEA/ UK/ Switzerland for 3 full years (i.e. 36 months) out of previous 5 years, to be eligible to enrol on a Springboard+ course.
Note 4: The process for determining eligibility is undertaken by the third level institution to which the application is made.
