UK Grants & Funding

£105,000 – £175,000 per project (70% of £150k–£250k costs)

Phase 2 potential: Successful Phase 1 projects invited to apply for up to £1,000,000 in Phase 2

Deadline: 29 April 2026 at 11:00

Approx. 2% success rate based on Innovate UK historical data

£17,500 – £35,000 per project (70% of £25k–£50k costs)

Phase 2 potential: Successful Phase 1 projects can apply for £5,000,000 – £10,000,000 in Phase 2

Deadline: 10 June 2026 at 11:00

Approx. 2% success rate based on Innovate UK historical data

Partnership / subcontract arrangement — value TBC based on delivery scope

Phase 2 potential: Preston Digital Cooperative has stated intent to apply for additional funding sources to expand digital inclusion city-wide

Deadline: No deadline — rolling partnership expressions of interest

Partnership route — not a competitive grant. Success depends on relationship with Preston City Council Communities team.

Up to £4,000 via VCFSE partner organisation

Phase 2 potential: N/A — community grant, not staged. But establishes Blackpool Council relationship for SPF 3.0.

Deadline: No fixed deadline — rolling first-come-first-served until funds exhausted

Not competitive — rolling fund. Apply early via partner before funds run out.

£462 per learner for digital functional skills. ESOL courses funded at £7–£12 per learning hour (approx. £1,500–£2,500 per learner per year)

Deadline: Annual cycle — current year ends July 2026, next round opens August 2026

Not a competition — funded automatically per learner enrolled through a registered provider

£10,000 – £100,000 per project (People & Skills / Digital sub-theme)

Phase 2 potential: SPF 2.0 ends March 2026 — SPF 3.0 successor fund expected Q2/Q3 2026. Building relationships NOW secures position for next round.

Deadline: SPF 3.0 pipeline: approach councils Q2 2026. No fixed deadline — relationship-building phase.

Not a competitive process — success depends on relationship with council officer. Preston has public contact. Blackpool has strong precedent for this type of project.