The Fibrus Community Fund

Purpose of the Fund:

The Fibrus Community Fund was established by Fibrus Networks Ltd in 2021.  The fund is aimed at addressing digital poverty and exists to support the work of communities across Northern Ireland to provide access to digital technology for the most vulnerable.

We recognise that the most vulnerable in our community can sometimes get left behind when it comes to accessing modern technology, something most of us take for granted.

Having the ability to access the internet can open a range of opportunities for individuals and communities especially when it comes to education, employment and socialising.   Formed with one vision; to connect communities across Northern Ireland, the Fibrus Community Fund will offer technology grants to enable people to stay connected, whether it is young people staying connected to online resources for school, or elderly people ordering groceries and video calling family.

Data from the Office of National Statistics in 2019 detailed that, despite how the number of people who can’t or don’t use the internet, has declined in general since 2012, Northern Ireland continues to have the highest proportion of non-internet users across the UK, at 14.2%. Those who perhaps are already disadvantaged and isolated, are now even more so as a result of the pandemic. The digital divide remains a problem throughout Northern Ireland.

The fund therefore, has a particular focus on supporting grassroots organisations that support older people or young people aged 18 and under.

The Fibrus Community Fund will open in two phases in 2023 in tandem with Fibrus’ build programme of new full fibre broadband, with phase one opening in January 2023.

Fund Aims:

The fund is aimed at addressing digital poverty by awarding grants of up to £2,000 to enable local groups and organisations in particular areas, to provide access to digital technology for the most vulnerable in that community, with a particular focus on older people and young people aged 18 and under.

We want the fund to support community organisations who are supporting young people or older people to address the digital divide.

What is Available?

We will offer grants of up to £2,000 for projects to address any gaps that younger and older people might face in their communities, which may include provision of access to technological devices.

Who Can Apply?

Constituted community organisations based in the areas outlined below can apply:

Eligible postcodes:

BT22 , BT23, BT24, BT25, BT26, BT27, BT28, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, BT34, BT35, BT38, BT39, BT40, BT41, BT42, BT43, BT44, BT45, BT46, BT48, BT51, BT52, BT53, BT54, BT55, BT56, BT57, BT60, BT61, BT62, BT63, BT65, BT66, BT67, BT69, BT70, BT71, BT74, BT75, BT76, BT77, BT78, BT79, BT80, BT81, BT82, BT92, BT93, BT94

In the event of oversubscription we will prioritise:

1.       Applicants who have not previously been awarded a grant from the fund

2.     Organisations that have an annual income below £50,000

3.     Those who more clearly articulate the need in relation to the beneficiaries

Examples of Types of Projects:

• Projects that provide access to engage with a range of digital devices (laptops, tablets, iPads, smart-phones, etc.), such as a community loan facility, etc.

• Projects that strengthen the capacity of individuals to use a range of available digital services, such as training workshops or courses, which may also include catering and venue hire costs.

• Projects that provide access to enhance connections with others, such as a community-use internet hub, or internet café, etc.

• Provision of internet installation/connection in community facilities for community use.

Project Priorities:

• Focus on the positive contribution of people within the community, and support those most in need of support to use and access digital technologies

• We want to hear how your community intends to build on the assets within that community, to support those who have faced digital challenges

• We expect you to focus on the need of your beneficiaries in terms of digital poverty, as well as focus on what is good about your community, and how this project will build on previous successes as a community, and support the beneficiary/beneficiaries in the longer term

The fund will close at 1:00pm on Monday 20 February 2023.

Please visit The Fibrus Community Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

The Santander Foundation Grants Programme

We’ve developed the Financial & Digital Empowerment Fund to help more people in the UK become digitally and financially empowered.

We want to support UK charities to give people the digital confidence, knowledge, and skills to enable then to make better, more informed decisions about money and have access to financial services. Together we can make a positive impact in our communities.

If you’re part of a charitable organisation that shares our ambition, then you’re in the right place. Together, let's make a difference.

There are millions of people in our society that are already at a disadvantage – through age, education, income, disability, or unemployment. Without the right support for them, the social inequality gap will only widen.

Many charitable and community interest organisations work with such groups; with people that feel the impacts of financial or digital exclusion the most.

We want to reach lone parents, single pensioners, migrants and refugees, those with long term illnesses and disabilities,  those struggling to find sustained employment  and households headed by students or part-time workers. These are among the groups most commonly excluded from financial services.

People with low or unstable incomes, or those who have experienced a significant life shock, are particularly affected by financial exclusion. The pandemic will only have made this situation worse, as more and more basic services have moved to the web. We want to help charities build their capacity to help people to become digitally and financially empowered.

We want to provide grants to organisations in the UK, and support you in delivering digital and financial empowerment to people over the next three years.

• We are investing £1.8 million into our Financial & Digital Empowerment Fund in 2021.

• We aim to award 12 grants of up to a total of £150,000 per organisation. We’ll award grants over a three-year period.

If accepted, you can ask for differing amounts in each of the three years. You can request a minimum of £25,000 in any one year, with the maximum of £150,000 over three years.

For more information and to apply, please visit The Santander Foundation | Santander Sustainability

Digital funding for small charities up to £2500

The Fat Beehive Foundation is an independent UK registered charity that provides small grants for websites and digital products to other small UK registered charities.

Priorities for support

The Foundation can only support a limited amount of projects, based on the funding available for distribution in any given year. The funding priorities over the next year are:

• Environmental protection or climate change mitigation

• Human rights

• International development

• Equality and Diversity

• Social justice / Refugees / Housing

• Education

• Art & culture

• Health and wellbeing

• Prisoner rehabilitation

What they don’t fund

The funding programmes are very specific. They aren’t a general IT funder and hence don’t fund general software or hardware procurement projects.

They are keen for funding to have a genuine impact, so they don’t fund organisations without the internal resources to make the project a success.

Although they recognise the critical importance of funding core costs or staff time, they are unable to do this. The Foundation focus purely on hard-to-fund digital expenditure that other funders will often not cover.

The bulk of the funding is provided by Fat Beehive Ltd, and to avoid any conflicts of interest the Fat Beehive Foundation they will not provide grants to charities that already use or would like to use Fat Beehive Ltd’s services. 

The Foundation do not fund organisations set up to promote religion.

For more information please visit https://www.fatbeehivefoundation.org.uk/