The Big Lottery Fund’s Digital Fund is a new 2-year £15 million grant programme offering dedicated digital funding support to the UK’s charitable and voluntary sectors.
The funding can be used for:
o Staff salaries;
o Project activities;
o Running costs;
o Small-scale refurbishment;
o Equipment; and/or
o Organisational development.
o Project activities;
o Running costs;
o Small-scale refurbishment;
o Equipment; and/or
o Organisational development.
Applications may be made by:
o Voluntary and community organisations;
o Registered charities;
o Social enterprises;
o Group of organisations, if they are led by a voluntary and community organisations or social enterprise; and
o Community Interest Companies (with two or more directors).
o Registered charities;
o Social enterprises;
o Group of organisations, if they are led by a voluntary and community organisations or social enterprise; and
o Community Interest Companies (with two or more directors).
In the first round, which opens on Monday 22 October, the Digital Fund offers two strands of funding:
1. Strand 1 (“We want to use digital to change our work”) – to enable established charities use digital to take a major leap forward. Grants of up to £500,000 and a tailored support package with grants lasting from one to four years are available.
2. Strand 2 (“We are already highly digital, and want to scale our impact”) – to enable newer organisations incorporated after the year 2000 that have already launched promising services that use digital to achieve scale or impact. Grants of up to £500,000 with grants lasting from one to four years are available.
Please note that there is a match funding requirement from applicants with an income of more than £10 million. Such organisations will be expected to provide a matching contribution that is 'tailored' to their size.
Successful proposals for Strand 1 ("We want to use digital to change our work") should:
o Demonstrate a firm commitment by organisational leadership to changing the way that the organisation serves people and communities;
o Contain a plan that has been developed in accordance with good digital practices, such as committing to an iterative approach, and making sure that people are in the lead;
o Supply evidence that the organisation has already invested in digital, prior to their proposal; and
o Show a commitment to working generously, sharing what you learn and the products or services you produce with others.
o Contain a plan that has been developed in accordance with good digital practices, such as committing to an iterative approach, and making sure that people are in the lead;
o Supply evidence that the organisation has already invested in digital, prior to their proposal; and
o Show a commitment to working generously, sharing what you learn and the products or services you produce with others.
Under Strand 1, the Fund is not looking for:
o Proposals that contain a highly detailed plan setting out every detail of the forthcoming transformation. Instead proposals are welcomed that clearly differentiate between what is known now and what will be learnt along the journey;
o Proposals that are driven by a desire to use technology; or
o Proposals that are based around core budget shortfalls.
o Proposals that are driven by a desire to use technology; or
o Proposals that are based around core budget shortfalls.
Successful proposals for Strand 2 ("We are already highly digital, and want to scale our impact") should:
o Have made use of user-centred design;
o Clearly demonstrate either the potential to scale their impact at low cost, or clearly demonstrate potential to use digital to bring substantial benefits to a specific group of people;
o Be driven by teams that combine knowledge of an issue that matters to people and communities, with experience of digital delivery;
o Relate to a product or service that is far enough through its development process that people are currently benefiting from it;
o Provide evidence of impact upon those people.
o Have a theory of change or similar document showing how the product or service will achieve aims that benefit a specific group of people; and
o Show an understanding of the challenge of sustaining impact after the ending of Big Lottery Fund support.
o Clearly demonstrate either the potential to scale their impact at low cost, or clearly demonstrate potential to use digital to bring substantial benefits to a specific group of people;
o Be driven by teams that combine knowledge of an issue that matters to people and communities, with experience of digital delivery;
o Relate to a product or service that is far enough through its development process that people are currently benefiting from it;
o Provide evidence of impact upon those people.
o Have a theory of change or similar document showing how the product or service will achieve aims that benefit a specific group of people; and
o Show an understanding of the challenge of sustaining impact after the ending of Big Lottery Fund support.
Under Strand 2, the Fund is not looking for:
o Products or services that are not yet mature enough to be benefiting people;
o Products or services that cannot show considerable evidence of user research in their creation; or
o Products or services that duplicate existing services with no substantial innovation.
o Products or services that cannot show considerable evidence of user research in their creation; or
o Products or services that duplicate existing services with no substantial innovation.
The following are not eligible funding:
o Individuals;
o Sole traders;
o Organisations based outside the UK;
o Anyone who is applying on behalf of another organisation;
o Organisations without at least two unconnected people on the board or committee;
o Companies that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution (this may change for a future application round of the Digital Fund);
o Proposals from organisations that are run primarily for private gain or to generate profits for private distribution, or any activities that generate profits for private gain;
o Religious activity (although religious organisations will be considered if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content);
o Activities that replace government funding (for example, school activities that are additional to the curriculum could be funded);
o Activities that benefit individuals, rather than the wider community;
o Political activities;
o Retrospective costs; or
o Loan repayments.
o Sole traders;
o Organisations based outside the UK;
o Anyone who is applying on behalf of another organisation;
o Organisations without at least two unconnected people on the board or committee;
o Companies that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution (this may change for a future application round of the Digital Fund);
o Proposals from organisations that are run primarily for private gain or to generate profits for private distribution, or any activities that generate profits for private gain;
o Religious activity (although religious organisations will be considered if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content);
o Activities that replace government funding (for example, school activities that are additional to the curriculum could be funded);
o Activities that benefit individuals, rather than the wider community;
o Political activities;
o Retrospective costs; or
o Loan repayments.
The Digital Fund will open in a number of phases over the next 2 years.
The first phase will open on Monday 22 October and will close to applications on Monday 3 December 2018.
The first step in the application process is to have an initial conversation with the Big Lottery Fund’s UK Portfolio Team.
If the team thinks the Digital Fund is the right fund for the applying organisation, they will invite a full proposal to be submitted.
Guidelines and further information about the Fund can be found on the Big Lottery Fund website.
Contact details for the Digital Fund are:
UK Portfolio Team
Big Lottery Fund
1 Plough Place
London
EC4A 1DE
Tel: 0345 4 10 20 30
Email: UKPortfolioTeam@
Big Lottery Fund
1 Plough Place
London
EC4A 1DE
Tel: 0345 4 10 20 30
Email: UKPortfolioTeam@
(Source: GRIN)
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