Criteria and what we’re looking for
Hubbub and Virgin Media O2 are launching a £500,000 fund to help connect those who are digitally disconnected. Ensuring tech can be used by those who need it, time after time.
A total of £500,000 is available for projects with grants ranging in size from £25,000 to £100,000. We expect to be able to fund between 6-8 projects of varying grant sizes.
If you are interested in applying to the fund, please read through the focus areas, the criteria and eligibility requirements below. If you fit the bill we’d love to hear from you.
We welcome applications for new projects and existing projects that require additional funding.
Focus area
For this fund, we’re interested in projects that help to tackle the digital divide by helping to connect those who are currently disconnected. This could include a focus on a particular group of people who are more likely to be disconnected. This could include, but is not limited to:
Those over-65
Those from lower-socio economic backgrounds
Individuals with disabilities
Young people
Those experiencing homelessness
Refugees/Asylum Seekers
Survivors of domestic abuse
Applicants should also consider how their projects help to reduce e-waste, rather than tackling the issue through the purchase of new devices.
We will not fund projects that aim to produce a new product for sale (e.g. modular appliances, long-lasting tech) unless this product also meets the set criteria below in addition to creating a new product.
Criteria
Focused on increasing digital inclusion within the UK whilst tackling e-waste – This could include a particular focus on a particular group of people who are recognised to be more likely to be disconnected. We hope to fund projects across the UK to ensure the fund has a wide geographical spread.
Focused on devices: As the fund is focussing on digital inclusion, the electrical items that your project focuses on should increase the ability of individuals, groups or households to connect to the internet. The devices we expect projects to focus on will primarily be smartphones, tablets and laptops. Your project can be part of a wider scheme to reduce waste.
Feasible: You must have an agreement in place with any proposed project partners. You should be able to demonstrate how you’ve delivered projects in the past successfully. Your organisation should also show an understanding of how this project will fit into your wider activities to ensure you’re well placed to deliver the proposed activity.
Impact and legacy: The project needs to demonstrate its projected impact on digital inclusion and e-waste as well as any other benefits (e.g. social impact, number of people engaged, expected reach of project, carbon impact). This could be a direct and immediate impact or a clear path to future impact. The project should also have a clear legacy for what happens to the project and sharing learnings after the initial funding period.
Fund project activity (not core costs): We are happy to fund salaries and overheads related to a discrete project or discrete project activity – but we are unable to contribute to an organisation’s core cost which would support their general work.
Innovation and why you: We want to know what is innovative about the project and why you, your organisation (and partners) are the right people to deliver it.
Open sharing: you should plan to share the learnings and results to inspire and enable others to learn from and amplify your project and thereby increase the impact. We recognise that you might have intellectual property or patents for your idea, we won’t ask you to share anything commercially sensitive but would require you to share your broader learnings.
Eligibility
The fund is open to the following types of organisations. Collaboration is encouraged, partnership applications are welcome. The monies will need to be paid to the lead applicant which must be a registered body in the UK, and one of the following:
Charity
Academic body
Community Interest Company
Social enterprise
Registered company
Local authority