If you are invited to complete the Stage 2 application form, but miss the deadline, your application will be carried over to the next funding round three months' later - there is no need to start again at Stage 1.
The deadlines for receiving Stage 1 applications are advisory and are generally set to be one month before the Stage 2 submission deadline (which is fixed). You can submit your Stage 1 application at any time, but the advisory deadline helps to ensure that you have adequate time to complete the Stage 2 application, should you be invited to do so. We aim to respond to Stage 1 applications within two weeks of receipt, so the later you apply, the less time you will have to complete and submit the Stage 2 form before the deadline.
We don't offer funding for website improvements if no new functional or service delivery innovations are being created. We will only consider funding website development if the project's objectives are consistent with our areas of focus and the organisation meets our funding guidelines.
We invest in projects which most closely align to our area of focus. In all cases projects must demonstrate how the internet can be used to improve the lives of individuals and communities. Each year we receive many more applications than we are able to fund. So before submitting your application, make sure you refer to the all of the information in our How to Apply section. Please note that in addition to our core programmes, we may introduce specific calls for applications throughout the year.
The majority of projects we invest in are UK-based. However, we do make a limited amount of investment each year in international projects which align with our areas of focus. If you are a UK-based organisation running an overseas project, we would welcome your application.
We will give consideration to funding requests to cover hardware, software or connectivity costs - but only if they are fundamental to successful project delivery. In this case, any hardware, software or connectivity costs should form only a small percentage of the overall investment, and your applications should provide transparent details on all such costs. Hardware or infrastructure procurement projects will not be considered.
We will fund the costs of staff directly involved in delivering a project e.g. project managers, trainers, web developers. We do not provide funding to cover organisational running costs unconnected to the project.
Yes, we will consider an application for a new project, even if you're in receipt of funding for an existing project, as long as it is completely unrelated and looking at a different social challenge. Please bear in mind that you will need to complete the application process again and we make no guarantee that your application will be successful.
Typically, we do not provide repeat funding for the same project, as we believe in supporting sustainable initiatives. We expect all our projects to develop a sustainability plan during the period of our investment, so that they can they are able to secure their future.
