Building on an understanding of ‘what works’ in the development of basic digital skills, the sixth round of the Digital Participation Fund will be focused on two specific themes:
- Supporting working age people to increase financial capability, employment and other economic outcomes
- Supporting older and disabled people to reduce social isolation and loneliness
In this round £200,000 is available which will be split 75/25 respectively across these key areas.
Priority will be focused in two areas
- Projects which can demonstrate a track record of working with individuals who are facing issues such as poverty, social isolation and other forms of inequality.
- Projects where digital skills activity for their service users are embedded in the organisation’s day-to-day activity.
Over previous rounds we have received a good mix of both ‘hyper-local’ and ‘wider reach’ projects. ‘Hyper-local’ we would define as those led by a single organisation, without strong links to other organisations and/or happening in a single venue e.g. community hubs, particularly in remote and rural areas. Wider reach we would view as national initiatives or partnerships which are trying to drive a change management programme of works on digital basic skills.
The application process consists of one online form that must be fully completed before your application will be assessed. All applicants must be signed up to the Digital Participation Charter and be able to demonstrate their commitment through their proposed project. We will be unable to accept applications from organisations not already registered with the scheme so please bear that in mind when planning out your submission timetable.
Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Application process for Round 6 open | 28th March – 11th June (noon) |
| Applications are assessed by the Digital team & recommendations are made | 12th – 28th June |
| Final portfolio approval | 9th July |
| All applicants notified of the outcome of their application |
10th July |
| Contract documentation sent out | 11th July |
| Finalise payment schedules and contracts returned by | 27th July |
| Project Inception meeting for successful projects (Edinburgh) | 7th August |
| First project start date | 3rd September |
If you are successful, you will have some key obligations as part of the Contract.
- Attendance at the Project Inception meeting which will take place 7th August 2018
- The provision of regular progress updates to your project’s individual record within the SCVO Digital website (supported by the Digital Team)
- A commitment to measuring the progress of your project beneficiaries by guiding them through the completion of questionnaires on their Basic Digital Skills at the beginning and end of their engagement.
