The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund will help more people get online, drive economic growth and raise living standards, the government claims.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said it is making the funding available to local councils and charities to reduce digital exclusion.
1.6 million people in the UK can’t access internet
According to the UK Telecoms Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, digital exclusion is holding too many people back and tackling it is critical to driving growth. Some people are “locked out” from some of the basic opportunities that modern life offers, he said..
“It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can’t access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers,” Bryant said.
“Digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just nice to have.
“Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job. Through this funding we’re moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.”
Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund
In England, local government, charities and research organisations can apply for funding worth £25,000 to £500,000 to help boost digital inclusion and skills in their local areas.
The money will support the best and smartest ways of tackling digital exclusion, which could include putting on workshops to familiarise people with tech, schemes donating devices like phones and laptops to the digitally excluded, all led by local councils, charities and other bodies working in the heart of their communities.
