Government launches £7.2m digital inclusion fund

Charities are being urged to apply for a share of a £7.2m government fund to tackle digital exclusion.

The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund has been launched by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Charities, councils and research organisations can apply to run programmes through the fund, including training workshops and donating devices.

Funding is being directed at local organisations, including charities, as “they are best placed to know how to support the needs of their communities”, says the DSIT.

The department estimates 1.6m people in the UK are not online and hopes successful local programmes it funds will be rolled out wider across the UK.

“The money will support the best and smartest ways of tackling digital exclusion, which could include putting on workshops to familiarise people with tech, schemes donating devices like phones and laptops to the digitally excluded, all led by local councils, charities and other bodies working in the heart of their communities,” said the DSIT.

The closing date to apply for the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is 10 September. Grants of between £25,000 and £500,000 are being made available. Consortium applications are welcomed.

The funding will support projects in England, with a proportion of funding going to Scotland, Wales and Norther Ireland. Funding awarded will only be able to be claimed in the current financial year.

Telecoms minister Chris Bryant added: “It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can’t access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers.

“Digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just something that’s nice to have, and it forms a critical part of our Plan for Change.

“Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job.

“Through this funding we’re moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.”