Connecting Scotland’s Summer/Autumn 2023 Funding Opportunities

Connecting Scotland has two different funding opportunities for organisations which are both open for applications until 27th October 2023.

The first project ‘Support for Device Lending Libraries’ aims to provide devices and/or connectivity to organisations across Scotland that can be used as part of lending schemes or lending libraries to support people who are experiencing digital exclusion.

The Connecting Scotland device lending libraries programme is open to organisations that are already running device lending libraries. It can help them expand the range of devices and connectivity that they have available, extend the number of devices available for loan or replace devices that are coming to the end of their lives. This is a small fund distributing £100,000 capital funding overall.

The programme aims to support people who are digitally excluded focussing on people:

• Over 65
• in a low-income household
• living with a long-term illness or disability
• who are unemployed
• or who are the victims of crime or abuse

The second project ‘Support for Housing Providers’ aims to provide devices and/or connectivity to organisations across Scotland providing social housing or transitional accommodation. This is a small fund distributing £300,000 capital funding overall.

There are three opportunities within this fund for devices and/or connectivity to support people who are experiencing digital exclusion:

• To form a new lending library
• To be part of a community space where devices and connectivity are available
• A larger improvement project for connectivity infrastructure in communal areas

For this project, Connecting Scotland are looking to fund organisations who are less experienced in digital inclusion work (less than one year activity) but who have the resource and supporting infrastructure in place to manage new projects.

Connecting Scotland want to support projects that can be accessed by people who fall into at least one of the following categories: 

• Those over 65
• People living in low-income households
• People living with a long-term illness or disability
• People currently unemployed
• Women and children at risk of violence
• People who are homeless
• Families

Assessment of applications for both projects will be done on a rolling basis with awards made until funds are exhausted. This means applications may close earlier than 27th October, so please apply as soon as you can.

Find out more and apply.

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