Deadline: 15-Jul-20
MHCLG’s Local Digital Collaboration Unit is making funding available for data and digital projects to help local authorities in England with their COVID-19 recovery and renewal efforts.
The Local Digital is launching this fund to respond to the need for digital and data-enabled approaches to council operations post-COVID-19.
They invite applications in three thematic areas:
- Data and reporting
- Community engagement
- Developing new working practices
Applications do not need to have a pure technology focus – please refer to the Local Digital Declaration to understand the principles they encourage in every project.
Funding Information
This government funding of up to £800,000 in total is aimed at supporting Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) projects that look to combat the challenges faced by local government as a direct result of COVID-19.
Criteria
- This challenge is open to local authorities in England only. Lead applicants and partner organisations must be Local Digital Declaration signatories.
- Projects are expected to deliver a product or outcome directly related to a COVID-19 challenge within 2 months. Project outputs must be relevant to, and reusable by, other councils.
- Project applications must be submitted by a council or a group of councils.
- The successful project teams will be expected to work closely with MHCLG staff, as well as digital and data professionals from the private sector, throughout the duration of the project. The procurement of services will take place once the successful projects have been chosen.
- Applications will not be considered if they only seek to deliver value for one council, focus on filling Business as Usual (BAU) funding gaps, or cannot demonstrate a clear link to COVID-19 recovery and renewal.
- There will not be any further rounds of funding for COVID-19 challenges. The Local Digital Fund will continue as a route for funding digital innovation projects in councils.
For more information, visit https://localdigital.gov.uk/c19-challenge/