Tech Lending Community Fund

Aims/priorities: This fund aims to support organisations that work closely with temporary accommodation services, such as centres for refugees, housing for those at risk of homelessness, or women’s refuges, to establish or further develop Tech Lending Hubs where tablets can be provided to residents on a short-term basis. Funding will enable community groups to ensure that people in temporary accommodation services at risk of digital exclusion have access to a tablet loaning service, whilst reducing e-waste by maximising the use of refurbished digital services.

Funding can be used to:

Oversee and manage a lending scheme that is integrated into existing support activities and that ensures data and devices reach people in temporary accommodation.
Create a network of local organisations providing temporary accommodation that can integrate lending schemes into existing support activities.
Distribute refurbished devices that will be supplied by Hubbub through Reconome, at a fixed cost of £90 each plus VAT, funded through the grant support.
Establish a monitoring and evaluation process allowing Hubs and community groups to measure impact against agreed outcomes.
Be an active participant in the Tech Lending Community by sharing information, supporting other groups, and providing evidence/stories to support press-related and social media activities.
Develop a long-term plan that builds a legacy, impact, and financial resilience.

Tablet devices will be of sufficiently high quality to make them suitable for lending and will contain standardised software enabling them to be remotely managed and disabled if necessary. The devices will be topped up with free data (15GB per month) provided via the National Databank, created by Virgin Media O2 in partnership with the digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation.

Organisations that intend to source tablets elsewhere should note that:

They must provide evidence on how they plan to do so, and evidence that they are refurbished.
The tablets need to be of reasonable quality so they can last, so advice from a tech professional is recommended.
Some organisations may be able to secure refurbished tablets for free. In this scenario, these tablets would be additional to those sourced through Hubbub.

Funding can be used to cover administrative and staff costs and can be part of existing expenditure plans.

The fund will support projects for one year. 70% of the agreed funding will be paid out to grantees on receipt of a signed offer letter. A further 20% will be paid on receipt of a six-month report and the final 10% will be paid on receipt of a final year-end report.

Funding will be released and projects should commence by the end of May 2022.

Who can apply? Not-for-profit, constituted organisations that are registered in the UK can apply. This includes, but is not limited to:

Local authorities.
Charities.
Community interest companies.
Social enterprises that have a clear charitable mission, can demonstrate the positive difference they are trying to make and would pass remaining assets on to another not-for-profit social enterprise that has a charitable aim in the event of a ‘wind-up’ situation.

Applicants must have proven existing relationships with community groups that provide services within temporary accommodation where tablets can be distributed to those in need for short-term use.

Organisations must provide: