Mission Pointers

Digital inclusion grants UK: where to find funding

Where UK charities, CICs and community groups can find digital inclusion grants, free data and devices, and how to write a strong bid.

Mission Pointers · 4 October 2026 · 9 min read

In short

  • Most funders that pay for digital skills, devices and connectivity are general community funders, so show how your work fits their aims.
  • Free SIM cards and refurbished devices are available through Good Things Foundation's National Digital Inclusion Network.
  • Check eligibility first: some major trusts fund registered charities only and won't accept CICs.
  • Strong bids use up-to-date evidence of need, clear outcomes, local partners and a plan for what happens after the grant.
On this page
  1. Funders to know about
  2. Free data and devices
  3. How to write a strong digital inclusion bid
  4. Staying up to date
  5. Sources

Helping people get online changes lives. But finding money to pay for it can be hard. Most of the funders in this guide aren't digital-only funders, so you'll often be applying to general community programmes and showing how your digital work fits.

This guide is for small charities, community interest companies (CICs) and community groups anywhere in the UK. It lists funders worth knowing about, explains how to get free data and devices, and shows you how to write a bid that makes a clear case.

Funders to know about

The table below covers funders and programmes that can pay for digital inclusion work, such as digital skills sessions, devices, connectivity or AI literacy. Some are general funders, so you'll need to show how your digital work fits their aims.

Funder and programmeWhat it fundsWho can applyTypical grantStatus (checked October 2026)
National Lottery Awards for All (separate programmes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)Projects that bring people together and improve communitiesConstituted groups, registered charities, not-for-profit companies, CICs and others£300 to £20,000Open. Decisions in 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the nation
National Lottery Reaching Communities EnglandLarger projects that strengthen communities, prioritising disadvantaged areas and peopleCharities, CIOs, CICs with an asset lock, unincorporated groups and othersOver £20,000. Most awards are under £500,000Open. Decisions take about 40 weeks
The Clothworkers' Foundation Open Grants ProgrammeCapital costs, including equipment and digital infrastructure such as CRM software and websitesRegistered charities, CIOs, CICs limited by guarantee without share capital, exempt charities and special schoolsSmall grants up to £15,000. Large grants over £15,000Open all year, no deadlines
Garfield Weston FoundationCore costs, capital and projects across areas including community, education and welfareUK registered charities, CIOs, and exempt or excepted charities. Not CICsRegular Grants are under £100,000Open all year. Decisions take 4 to 6 months
Lloyds Bank Foundation (England and Wales)Its latest open round funded homelessness preventionCharities, CIOs and CICsUp to £200,000 over four yearsClosed on 9 September 2026. More rounds are planned
Nominet Members' GiveHubProjects that improve lives through technologyA Nominet member applies on behalf of a UK-registered charity or organisationUp to £10,000 a yearRolling. A panel meets monthly
Your local community foundationLocal grant programmes, which vary by areaVaries by fundThe average grant in 2024–25 was £5,500Varies. Check your local foundation
DSIT Digital Inclusion Innovation FundLocal projects that help digitally excluded people in EnglandIn England, local government, charities and research organisations£25,000 to £500,000Closed on 10 September 2025. No new round announced

Notes on the table

  • National Lottery Community Fund. Awards for All is often the best first step for a small group. Digital skills sessions can fit well if you show how they bring people together or improve lives. Each nation has its own rules, so read the "Who can apply" page for yours.
  • Clothworkers' Foundation. This is one of the few major trusts that names digital infrastructure as something it funds. It focuses on small and medium-sized organisations working with disadvantaged and marginalised people.
  • Garfield Weston Foundation. For project and capital grants, it expects you to have raised around half of the costs before you apply, and its support is usually 10 to 20% of costs.
  • Lloyds Bank Foundation. It isn't a digital funder, but its latest round offered unrestricted grants. It says it will name "Starting Point" communities in two regions of England and Wales in the autumn, with further funding rounds to follow.
  • Nominet. You can't apply to the GiveHub directly. A Nominet member who has been a member for at least 12 months has to apply for you.
  • Government funding. The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund was a one-year fund, and all funded work had to finish by 31 March 2026. The government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan: One Year On says the fund supported 85 projects in England and gave £1.47 million to the devolved governments. It doesn't announce a second round, so watch GOV.UK for news.
  • BT Group. BT's digital inclusion work runs through its charity partners, such as AbilityNet and Home-Start UK. Its digital inclusion page doesn't list an open grants programme.

Free data and devices

Grants aren't the only help available. If your organisation supports people who can't afford data or a device, you may be able to give them these for free.

Join the National Digital Inclusion Network

Good Things Foundation runs the National Digital Inclusion Network. It has over 5,000 member organisations, and it's free to join. Members can use:

  • The National Databank. Free mobile SIM cards with data, donated by Virgin Media O2, Vodafone and Three. You give them to people in your community who are on a low income and can't afford to get online.
  • The National Device Bank. Free refurbished laptops, tablets and smartphones. Members can apply for devices once a quarter.
  • Learn My Way, its free digital skills learning for beginners, plus training sessions and grant opportunities from its Fix The Digital Divide Fund when they're available.

Registered charities, CICs, social enterprises, community benefit societies, councils and NHS trusts can join. Unincorporated groups can also join if they can show how they're managed and constituted.

To get started:

  1. Join the National Digital Inclusion Network on the Good Things Foundation website.
  2. Complete the onboarding questions about your organisation.
  3. Apply for the National Databank or National Device Bank from your members' area.

Vodafone charities.connected is ending

Vodafone's charities.connected scheme has given registered charities free SIM cards since 2021. Vodafone says it closes to new applications on 5 October 2026, and the programme will then end. SIMs already given out will keep working under the programme terms. Vodafone says it will keep working with Good Things Foundation to help organisations get connectivity through the National Databank.

How to write a strong digital inclusion bid

Funders get many more applications than they can fund. A clear, well-evidenced bid stands out.

1. Show the need with good evidence

Start with national figures from reliable sources, then show what the problem looks like where you work. These are good national starting points:

  • 1.6 million people are offline. The Lloyds Consumer Digital Index 2024 found that just 3% of people (1.6 million) don't use the internet.
  • Many adults lack basic skills. The Lloyds Essential Digital Skills 2025 study, carried out by Ipsos, found that 85% of UK adults can do all eight basic "Foundation Level" tasks on their own. That means around 15% can't.
  • Many homes have no computer. The government says around 1.7 million UK households don't have a laptop, tablet or desktop, based on Ofcom data.

Then add your own local evidence. That could be the number of people asking for help at your sessions, waiting lists, short quotes from people you support (with their permission), or what local partners are seeing. Funders want to know why your project is needed in your area, now.

2. Describe clear outcomes

Say what will change for people, not just what you'll do. "We'll run 20 sessions" is an activity. "Forty people will be able to manage their Universal Credit account online without help" is an outcome.

Plan how you'll measure it from the start. Simple before-and-after questions about confidence and skills work well.

3. Show your partnerships

Funders like to see that you're working with others rather than duplicating them. Name the partners who will refer people to you, host sessions or provide follow-on support, such as a library, community centre or food bank.

4. Explain what happens after the grant

Funders want to know the benefit will last. Explain how people will keep their skills and connection when the grant ends. For example, you could link them to free data through the National Databank, train volunteers as digital champions, or point people to free courses like Learn My Way.

One more thing: National Lottery Awards for All England asks you to write your own application. It doesn't accept applications written by consultants or bid writers on your behalf.

Staying up to date

New funds open all the time, and many close within weeks. These habits will help you catch them:

  • Sign up to funder newsletters. Good Things Foundation and Lloyds Bank Foundation both offer email updates, and many other funders do too.
  • Talk to your local infrastructure body. Local councils for voluntary service and similar organisations often share funding news. You can find yours through NAVCA. Your local community foundation is worth following too.
  • Use free grant search tools. GOV.UK's Find a grant lists government grants. In Scotland, try SCVO's Funding Scotland. In Wales, try Funding Wales, and in Northern Ireland, try NICVA's GrantTracker. 360Giving GrantNav shows past grants from UK funders, which can show you who funds work like yours.

GrantRadar, built by Mission Pointers, is a free tool that matches UK charities, CICs and community groups with open grants and shows who can apply up front.

If you'd like help planning digital skills or AI literacy work in your community, you can get in touch with us.

Sources

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