The Good Things Foundation is offering the Building Digital Skills Grant to help organisations to start up and continue delivering their Be Connected digital literacy programs.
The aim of the Building Digital Skills grants program is to enable organisations to support older Australians 50+ through free face-to-face contact (if safe to do so), either one-on-one or in small groups, to develop their digital skills and confidence, utilising the learning courses available on the Be Connected Learning site. A range of resources and support materials are available to help organisations to deliver this program.
The purpose of the Building Digital Skills Grants Program is to provide Be Connected Network Partners with access to Funding Assistance to assist them to deliver training and support to Older Australians to improve their digital literacy skills and confidence.
Funding Information
Network Partners applying for their first Be Connected Building Digital Skills grant can only apply for a $2,500 grant in the first instance.
Duration: The term of the grant is 12 months.
Eligible Projects
The funding can be spent on activities that can be justified as supporting older Australians to gain basic digital skills and confidence such as:
New devices including computers, laptops, tablets
Upgrading software for devices
Internet fees
Digital mentor expenses, including training to be a digital mentor
Printing of learning materials for older Australian learners
Police checks for all staff and mentors involved in delivering the Be Connected project
Marketing/promotional costs
Ineligible Projects
Funding cannot be used for capital works (building or construction materials)
Specialist Contracts
Specialist contracts are available to Network Partners who are specifically targeting very hard to reach Older Australians – such as:
Those in remote and outer regional areas
If your location is categorised as one of the following, you can apply for a specialist contract:
Outer Regional (RA 3)
Remote (RA 4)
Very Remote (RA 5)
If your location is categorised as being located in Major Cities (RA 1) or Inner Regional (RA 2), you do not qualify to apply for a Specialist contract.
Supporting older Australians with significant barriers to learning, such as:
Older Australians with disabilities,
Indigenous Australians, or
Older Australians from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community
Applicants applying for a Specialist contract to support older Australians with significant barriers to learning must clearly demonstrate that they will be solely targeting learners within one of the above mentioned demographics.
Eligibility Criteria
Organisations who would like to apply for a Building Digital Skills grant must:
Be a registered Network Partner within the Be Connected Network
Provide an ABN number (if applying for a $5,000 grant or greater)
Have public liability insurance
Have acquitted previous grant/s awarded by Good Things Foundation
