Digital Participation funding

Posted on 15 March 2021 by Christie McAlpine

SCVO has launched three new funds to help people get online:

The Digital Participation Charter Fund 

The Charter Fund has been operating for a number of years with the support of the Scottish Government and BT, and this year also has Cellnex on board. Round 8 will provide small grants of up to £10,000 to help a range of organisations tackle poverty, social isolation and other forms of inequality in society through embedding digital skills development work in their day-to-day activity with the people they support.

The Device Refurbishment Support Fund

This fund will provide grants of up to £15,000 to support projects operating within the voluntary and community sectors that have an established programme of collecting, re-furbishing and distributing pre-loved devices.

Connecting Communities Fund

Delivered in partnership with Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation. This programme can provide small grants of up to £5,000 for projects being delivered in City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian that are seeking to address digital exclusion through upskilling and the purchase of devices and/or connectivity to help local communities achieve better health outcomes.

A key consideration for all the Funds is the revised ways of working that are in place due to coronavirus restrictions. They are looking to fund projects that have adapted their delivery models and are able to demonstrate their plans are sustainable and geared towards helping the increasing numbers of people who are still feeling the effects of not being able to engage with key online services and support.