Get Creative! Open Data Engagement Fund 2017/2018 has been launched

Launch of the Open Data Engagement Fund 2017/2018

Patrick O’Donovan T.D., Minister of State for Public Procurement, Open Government and eGovernment at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Finance announced details of the 2017/2018 Open Data Engagement Fund on 3rd October 2017.

The Open Data Engagement Fund (a fund of €30,000), has been developed in conjunction with the Open Data Governance Board (ODGB), which was established in 2015 to provide leadership in implementing Ireland’s Open Data Initiative.  This is a competitive fund designed to provide support towards promoting the use of open data on the national Open Data portal data.gov.ie.  The portal currently links to over 5,400 public service datasets in open format.

Applications can be made for funding to support a variety of Open Data-related activities.  These include the organisation of outreach and engagement activities (for example, seminars, competitions and hackathons), the building of applications and development of visualisations to demonstrate the use that can be made of open data, or specific research on open government datasets, with a view to arriving at outcomes that help create efficiencies in the public service or assist in government decision-making.

In welcoming the announcement, Minister of State O’Donovan said ‘Promoting use of the data on the open data portal data.gov.ie is a key theme in the national Open Data Strategy, 2017-2022 that was launched in July this year.  Our vision is for Ireland to become a leader in Open Data.  Opening up government data provides new opportunities for research, innovation, engagement and greater efficiency for all sectors of the economy.  I welcome today’s announcement and l hope that it will encourage students, citizens, researchers, business and others to engage in the Open Data initiative’.

Details of the Fund are available here.   The application form is available here.

Closing date for applications is Wednesday 25th October 2017.