Ealing Civil Improvement Fund Bid – Providing devices to VCS organisations

£20,000 has been allocated under the Ealing Civil Improvement Fund to provide funding for hardware to Voluntary Sector Organisations to increase their capacity to support residents transact online and access digital services. Organisations can apply for up to £1,000 to spend on laptops/hardware to suit their needs. Recent mapping of digital exclusion across the borough indicates that 15.8% of adults do not have essential online transactional skills and 19% do not have access to a laptop. Since COVID-19, partners have cited that the demand for devices for use by voluntary organisations is increasing.

Eligibility criteria:

·         Organisations must be based in the borough of Ealing.

·         Organisations must support their client base to overcome digital exclusion either by supporting them to access services digitally, providing digital skills services or simply providing access to devices.

·         Organisations must have a UK business bank account for funds to be paid into. The council is unable to transfer funds into individual’s bank accounts

Application Terms:

·         Completed applications must be submitted electronically to VCSfunding@ealing.gov.uk by noon on 6^th March 2023. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

·         Organisations must agree to be contacted by Ealing Council within a year of the money being received to find out what benefits the initiative has realised.

Further information can be found on the council website at Community grants | Community grants | Ealing Council and the application form is available at Digital inclusion grant fund application | Ealing Council