Comic Relief and Paul Hamlyn Foundation open final round of Tech for Good fund
Howard Lake | 14 January 2021 | News
Comic Relief and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation have launched the final funding round of their three-year Tech for Good partnerships.
The Tech for Good programme was developed in response to the need for charities to use technology to explore different approaches to delivering better services. Of course, the COVID-19 crisis has since increased the need for organisations to explore how digital and design approaches can be used to create more impact for the people they work with.
The Tech for Good 2021 ‘Build’ programme will enable organisations or partnerships to define, test and develop digital solutions over nine months that meet a social need or challenge in the UK. Projects can be local, regional, national or UK-wide.
Applications that want to adapt or re-purpose existing technology to increase impact in their service delivery are also actively encouraged. The funders stated :@we know that re-use of tools which already exist can be just as important and effective as building something new.
Grants of up to £70,000 over a period of nine months (June 2021 – Feb 2022) are available.
Who can apply
Applicants should be seeking to work in one or more of Comic Relief’s four core issue areas:
- Children Survive and Thrive
- Global Mental Health Matters
- Fighting for Gender Justice
- A Safe Place to Be.
Comic Relief would also welcome applications addressing challenges that are related to disability and inclusion outside of the four themes, “as we understand the critical potential of digital technology in tackling these issues”.
Applicants with digital projects might be at different stages of development. Build is planning to fund projects at various stages, from concept stage to those which are already in development.
Applicants must have an annual income of between £75,000 and £10 million.
This is the fifth Tech for Good programme run by Comic Relief. Details of all past funded projects can be found at can be found at Tech for Good.
In particular the funding is designed to support projects and organisations that:
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- Are focused on specific and clear user needs in their design, delivery and development
- Demonstrate a clear purpose for the use of tech and why it would be meaningful in your organisation
- Must be able to demonstrate resource and buy-in at senior and organisational level to manage and deliver the project you are proposing
- Must have adequate time budgeted for your project lead to participate in the programme
- Demonstrate the enthusiasm to engage with a collaborative cohort of funded partners.
- Make best use of existing technology
- Are sharable with other parts of the not-for-profit sector
How to apply
Applications to the Tech for Good 2021 ‘Build’ programme are open now and close at midday on 12th February 2021. Successful applications will have been informed by 30 April.
Applications consist of:
- a short form including a 250-word project summary, explaining what the project is setting out to achieve and how
- a video application up to three minutes long
- a project budget (a budget template is available).
Pre-application support is available. Comic Relief and CAST (Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology), the support partner for this programme, will be running Q&A webinars and providing additional guidance over the application period.
Image: Technology for good – heart and tech by sabri deniz kizil on Shutterstock.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.