NESTA, a national charity who work internationally, have just announced a new round of their ShareLab Fund which is available to support early stage organisations to develop and apply collaborative digital platforms to tackle real world challenges. Grants of £15,000 - £30,000 are available and expressions of interest are due by 5th January. The theme this year is prevention – which is a key theme for us as a Council too.
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Details of the fund are set out below and if your Department has an idea that they would like to pursue then can you please let me know so that we in Corporate Strategy can support you to develop your idea into a proposal for the 5th January deadline.
nThis year's fund theme: Prevention
nThe theme of this year’s fund is “Prevention”. Recognising the intense pressure on local authorities and other public sector organisations, NESTA invites expressions of interest (EOIs) from people with ideas for how collaborative digital platforms can help relieve pressure on existing local public services. These ideas might be focused on preventing social problems from starting, from growing worse, or from creating follow-on needs.
nExamples areas might include:
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- Connecting the elderly n
- Addressing transport poverty n
- Sharing community resources n
- Reducing waste and improving sustainability n
- Supporting communities to help themselves n
- Supporting people with low-level care needs n
- Encouraging children to learn and play n
- Addressing anxiety and mental health issues in young people n
- Tackling homelessness n
NESTA is offering grants of between £15,000 - £30,000 to organisations who best meet our criteria (see below), and who wish to test an innovative idea, or move from prototype to pilot.
nGrant funds can be used to cover:
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- Direct project costs n
- Related staff costs n
- Learning and development / user research n
NESTA also aims to offer non-financial support in the form of:
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- Providing mentorship and advice to develop and grow the idea n
- Helping to identify local authorities or other community partners who may be willing to support a pilot n
- Accessing other funding opportunities n
Further information can be found here.