Scotland's Digital Participation Challenge fund

Our Digital Participation Challenge Fund, supported by the Scottish Government, the ERDF and BT, invests in community digital participation projects across Scotland. The projects that we’re supporting will enable groups and organisations to digitise content, build digital networks and improve the digital skills of their members, so that they can continue to thrive in the digital world.

Project criteria

Projects must meet some broad criteria to be considered for funding.

• The project must be about developing the basic digital skills of am organisation’s staff or the people they’re supporting
• The following six focus groups will receive a greater weighting at the assessment stage (please note that we are unlikely to fund projects that are aimed at children):
  • Older people
  • Disabled people
  • Ethnic minority groups
  • Remote and rural communities
  • People seeking benefits
  • Glasgow
• Awards will typically range from £100 to £10,000; applications for more than this will only be considered in exceptional circumstances
• To help us understand what the project has achieved and what lessons others can learn, successful projects will be required to:
  • Ask the individuals they’re supporting to fill out a short questionnaire to gauge their basic digital skills
  • Provide regular progress updates by posting content to your project page (here’s an example)

Other terms and conditions will also apply. You can download a pro forma contract to check you will be able to comply. We are also working closely with organisations that have signed Scotland’s Digital Participation Charter to identify additional in-kind support (e.g. donations of equipment and volunteers). You will be able to express your interest in this kind of support by ticking the box at the end of the application form.

Funding awards

Call 3 (Winter 2015)

We received funding applications totalling over £700,000 for the third round of the Digital Challenge fund with fantastic project ideas coming in from across the country; we’re excited to announce that, out of these applications,19 have been supported with grants from the fund and a further 7 have been supported with money pledged by BT Scotland. To read more about the successful projects check out their project pages.

Call 2 (Spring 2015)

With 150 great applications received for Call 2, we were delighted to announce that the Digital Participation Leadership Group made 33 direct offers of funding for digital participation projects. You can find out more about the organisations that received funding on our project pages. We are also following up with a number of applicants to seek alternative support for their projects from organisations that have signed Scotland’s Digital Participation Charter.

Call 1 (Winter 2014)

Over 70 applications were made to Call 1, and the Digital Participation Leadership Group made 25 direct offers of funding. You can find out more about what’s been funded on our project pages. We are also following up with a number of applicants to seek alternative support for their projects from organisations that have signed Scotland’s Digital Participation Charter.