Invitation to Tender

Context and Rationale

The North East Inner City (NEIC) Initiative was launched in July 2016 by the Government to drive the long-term social and economic regeneration of Dublin’s North East Inner City. A Ministerial Taskforce was established, supported by Mr Kieran Mulvey, who engaged with local stakeholders and produced the 2017 Mulvey Report, Creating a Brighter Future. This report outlined key recommendations across five priority areas: crime and drugs, education, employment, family and youth services, and physical infrastructure.

The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) at National College of Ireland was developed to address the problem of educational underachievement in marginalized communities. Building upon tried and tested models of early years intervention, it is our mission to work with communities in areas of greatest need to provide world-class parent and child learning support programmes.

Supporting parents in their key role as the primary carers and educators of their children was an integral part of the Mulvey report, who proposed the creation of an Integrated System of Social Services, which addresses the real problems faced by families and their children. P. 37-38 P. 38 Outcome/Output 1. This is reflected in the NEIC Strategic Plan and the priorities and work of Subgroup 3: Family Wellbeing. These included:

• Improving child, parent and family wellbeing with a focus on parenting.
• Supporting Parenting, in particular increasing the supports provided to vulnerable parents and those with children with additional needs.
• Addressing gap in service delivery for supports for parents

In 2021, the NEIC launched a parenting initiative to enhance the coordination of programmes and support for parents in the NEIC. It was envisaged that this initiative would also enhance the referral pathways for parents of children of all age groups in the NEIC. A key goal is to establish a Parent Forum and involve parents in the design, delivery and evaluation of programmes & supports being delivered to parents in the NEIC. When the initial proposal was submitted for the role of the NEIC Parenting Support Coordinator, it was noted that this person needed to be in position for at least 3 years for the initiative’s aims and objectives to be achieved and the model be in a position such that it can be sustained by Tusla or another statutory organisation. The ELI successfully tendered for management of the programme in 2022 and the NEIC Parenting Coordinator started in post in October 2021. The NEIC Parenting Programme is approaching the end of its fourth year of implementation.

Scope - Aim and Objectives:

Conduct an evaluation of the NEIC Parenting Supports, including the Coordination Programme and produce a report that assesses what’s available, what’s working well, what else is needed and make recommendations for the future, in line with the Young Ireland, First Five, Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services, Equal Start, NEIC 2024-27 Strategic Plan and National Vision for Home Visiting.

Please see full Tender Document attached below.

Submission Deadline: Closing date for receipt of tender proposals no later than midnight on Sunday 31st August 2025 via email to eligrants@ncirl.ie