A curated funding shortlist, not a guarantee.

A strong starting point for small digital foundations, volunteer confidence, simple community pilots and practical improvement work.

Small community-led projects, new or existing activity, adapting to challenges and practical community improvements.

Usual applicants: Community-led organisations, Charities, Voluntary groups, Community groups

Routes: Direct group improvement, Training and digital inclusion, Shared community infrastructure

Likely fit: Small pilots, Digital baseline work, Volunteer training, Community activity

Complexity: Low to medium

charIT role: Technical adviser, supplier or delivery partner where permitted by the applicant and fund guidance.

Eligibility, eligible costs and supplier rules must be checked against current guidance before an application relies on charIT delivery.

Donated time may support the value-for-money story, but should not be presented as formal match unless the guidance allows it.

Useful for shared community infrastructure, local onboarding, training, calendars, directories and coordination where the community leads the need.

Larger community-led work that helps people connect, builds inclusion, fills gaps and supports people facing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.

Usual applicants: Community-led organisations, Charities, Voluntary groups, Community organisations

Routes: Shared community infrastructure, Training and digital inclusion, Direct group improvement

Likely fit: Digital Communities, Shared infrastructure, Community connection, Inclusion

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Delivery partner, technical lead, supplier or bid-shaping support where declared and permitted.

The applicant must show community leadership and fit with fund outcomes. Procurement and conflict rules should be visible if charIT may deliver.

Donated professional time may be recorded as added value only if the applicant, funder and evidence trail are clear.

A possible fit where digital access, safer systems or training directly improve access to help, wellbeing or family support.

Projects supporting children, young people, families, healthier lives or better access to support where digital work supports those outcomes.

Usual applicants: Organisations supporting people facing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination

Routes: Training and digital inclusion, Shared community infrastructure, Direct group improvement

Likely fit: Digital inclusion, Access to support, Family and wellbeing outcomes, Community services

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Technical adviser or delivery partner where digital work is outcome-led and permitted.

Do not present IT work as eligible unless it is clearly connected to the fund purpose and co-designed with the people supported.

Added donated time must be caveated and agreed before it appears in an application or budget narrative.

A possible route for a new social enterprise model, not a general charity IT grant.

Start-up costs for a proposed social enterprise, including legal setup, website, branding, equipment and professional support.

Usual applicants: Individuals starting a social enterprise

Routes: Social enterprise growth

Likely fit: Start-up social enterprise, Founder-led Digital Communities route, Early trading model

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Potential technical adviser or supplier to a founder-led route where that is permitted and transparent.

It funds eligible individuals and start-up social enterprise costs. It should not be used to imply every beneficiary project can apply.

Useful donated time may strengthen readiness, but the applicant must meet Firstport's social enterprise criteria.

A good fit where a local group wants to test trading or a social enterprise route for useful community digital infrastructure.

Start-up and development costs for constituted groups beginning trading or setting up a social enterprise, including some equipment and software costs.

Usual applicants: Constituted third-sector groups, Community groups exploring social enterprise

Routes: Shared community infrastructure, Social enterprise growth

Likely fit: Community anchor, Trading readiness, Digital Communities sustainability

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Technical adviser or potential supplier where a suitable group is exploring a genuine social-enterprise route.

The applicant must be constituted, based in Scotland and not yet trading regularly. It is not for existing activities or property repairs.

Any donated support should be presented as additional professional time, not as guaranteed formal match.

Relevant for mature Digital Communities-style social enterprises ready to create a proper paid role, not for an untested pilot.

Salary costs for new permanent roles that grow income and impact in eligible early-stage social enterprises.

Usual applicants: Asset-locked social enterprises with trading evidence

Routes: Employability and supported roles, Social enterprise growth

Likely fit: Salary costs, Digital coordinator roles, Trading social enterprise growth

Complexity: High

charIT role: Possible technical oversight or partner support where the eligible social enterprise hosts the role.

Requires asset lock, board, trading record, impact evidence and Fair Work salary compliance. Do not imply charIT is eligible by default.

Donated oversight may help value for money, but the funded role and employer must meet the fund requirements.

A later-stage option for organisations with repayment capacity and a clear social enterprise or growth case.

Repayable finance for working capital, bridging, capital projects, equipment, infrastructure, growth and investment readiness.

Usual applicants: Charities, Social enterprises

Routes: Shared community infrastructure, Social enterprise growth

Likely fit: Repayable finance, Infrastructure, Investment readiness, Growth

Complexity: High

charIT role: Technical adviser or delivery partner only where the applicant has a credible repayment and delivery route.

Repayable finance is not free support. It should not be used for fragile pilots without a realistic repayment route.

Donated time may support delivery value, but this is loan finance and should not be described as a grant.

Useful to know about once an organisation is more mature, has confirmed income, or is testing a repeatable social enterprise model.

Bridging loans for confirmed grant or contract income, and social investment routes for growth, services, assets or sustainability.

Usual applicants: Charities, Social enterprises, Organisations with confirmed awards or growth plans

Routes: Shared community infrastructure, Social enterprise growth

Likely fit: Bridging finance, Growth finance, Cashflow, Long-term sustainability

Complexity: High

charIT role: Possible adviser or delivery partner after the applicant has a confirmed funding or investment route.

These routes do not create grant eligibility and are not suitable for every community group.

Do not treat donated time as reducing repayment risk unless the lender and applicant have agreed the delivery evidence.

A local route that may fit practical digital improvement or community infrastructure where the applicant and costs match the criteria.

Local grants for voluntary organisations, with committee deadlines and small grants of GBP 500 or less reviewed under delegated authority.

Usual applicants: Local voluntary organisations, Community groups, Charities

Routes: Direct group improvement, Shared community infrastructure, Training and digital inclusion

Likely fit: Local community activity, Small improvements, Committee-timed grants

Complexity: Low to medium

charIT role: Technical adviser or supplier where the local applicant, criteria and procurement route allow it.

Local criteria, documentation and committee timing matter. Applications after a deadline wait for the next scheduled committee.

Any paid or donated support should be clear in the project budget and not imply council approval before assessment.

Worth monitoring for eligible local community benefit projects, but not generally available across East Ayrshire.

Community benefit funding for eligible local areas and projects that fit the current REF criteria.

Usual applicants: Constituted voluntary and community groups in eligible areas, Social economy or social enterprise projects

Routes: Shared community infrastructure, Direct group improvement

Likely fit: Community benefit, Local infrastructure, Restricted geography

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Potential technical adviser or supplier only if a local eligible applicant and project fit are confirmed.

The current round is restricted to Cumnock, New Cumnock and Netherthird. It should not be presented as open to all areas.

Do not rely on donated time or charIT delivery unless the applicant, criteria and evidence allow it.

A useful starting point for finding current funds and keeping a live watchlist beyond this page.

A discovery and monitoring route for current charity, community and social-enterprise funds rather than one fund with fixed eligibility.

Usual applicants: Charities, Community groups, Social enterprises, Voluntary organisations

Routes: Direct group improvement, Shared community infrastructure, Training and digital inclusion

Likely fit: Funding search, Monitoring, Directories, Application preparation

Complexity: Varies

charIT role: Support organisations to search, shortlist and translate digital needs into practical fundable plans.

Directory listings are not approvals. Each fund needs fresh checks before public claims or applications.

Each fund found through a directory still needs its own match, supplier and eligibility checks.

Important context for digital inclusion work, but specific grants must be checked individually before being treated as available.

Digital inclusion policy and programme routes covering access, skills, devices, connectivity, confidence and cross-sector collaboration.

Usual applicants: Depends on current programme

Routes: Training and digital inclusion, Employability and supported roles

Likely fit: Digital inclusion policy, Devices and access, Skills and confidence, Programme watchlist

Complexity: Uncertain

charIT role: Potential project shaper, technical adviser or delivery partner only where a specific live route permits it.

This is a policy and programme area, not a single open grant. Do not present a specific award unless the current page confirms it.

No match-funding treatment should be assumed without the relevant live programme guidance.

A useful example of the kind of digital inclusion route to watch, not a current source of funding.

Historically relevant digital inclusion support for embedding digital skills in day-to-day work with service users.

Usual applicants: Voluntary sector organisations, Public sector organisations

Routes: Training and digital inclusion

Likely fit: Digital skills, Digital inclusion, Closed but relevant watch

Complexity: Medium

charIT role: Could help shape a future digital inclusion project if a successor fund opens.

Funding Scotland lists this as currently closed. Do not present it as available.

Closed funds should not be used in current budgets or applications.