Springboard+

Springboard+ allow us to offer courses for free, or at a reduced cost, to fill the skills shortages in industries.

About Springboard+

At National College of Ireland we have the opportunity to offer a number of free courses through the Springboard+ initiative. These initiatives address skills shortages in the workforce and so are funded by the government to improve Ireland's ability to fill job vacancies.

See what our Springboard+ graduates say about our courses...

Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. For more information about EU Funds please visit www.EUFunds.ie.

Springboard+ Brochure

For more information on the Springboard+ courses starting in September 2026, please download the Springboard+ brochure.

Springboard+ Courses

Springboard+ funded courses starting in September 2026 are open for applications now. Please see the available courses below:

Computing

• Certificate Science in Computing 

Fee-Paying Places

The Springboard+ places on the below programmes have reached full capacity and are therefore closed for Springboard applications. However there are still a number of fee-paying places available for interested students. Click on the links below to find out how to apply:

• Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning)
• Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (Cybersecurity)
• Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (Software Development)
• Higher Diploma in Science in Data Analytics with Artificial Intelligence 
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Artificial Intelligence
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business

How to Apply

Springboard+ course applications are processed on the Springboard+ website. 

To get started, register your details on the website then click the Apply Now button on your chosen course page. Enter your details in all of the required fields and when complete, click the apply button. You will be able to login at any stage to check the status of your application. Further details are available on the How to Apply section on the Springboard+ website. 

If you are being redirected to the HEA home page rather than to the Springboard website, this may be due to a system restriction incorporated on this site to block users who are trying to access from outside the state. Springboard can only be accessed within Ireland.

Please note that company servers and VPN can also give the appearance that users are attempting to access the site from outside the country.

Who can apply to Springboard+

Everyone can apply for a Springboard+ course regardless of your employment status. The courses remain free of charge for people who are currently unemployed. For applicants in employment there will be a fee of 10% of the contribution to the normal course fee. Visit the Springboard+ website for more information on eligibility criteria. 

Get in Contact

If you would like to get some more information about Springboard+ courses courses, please complete the form below and we will contact you.

Data Protection Notice

Please note that by submitting this contact form to National College of Ireland (“NCI”), you will be required to provide certain personal data to NCI as part of your registration. For further information on how NCI uses your personal data and in relation to your data protection rights and how to contact the NCI data protection officer, please refer to the NCI Data Protection Statement.