The UK online centres central team is funded through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) via the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). Most of UK online centres' funding goes directly to our network. All centres run as independent organisations and are funded from several different sources. Many UK online centre partners don’t receive funding directly from UK online centres.
Funding for 2012-2013
There are two main strands of funding for 2012-2013:
Specialist Networks
We are developing two specialist networks, to bring together organisations that focus on specific target groups. The two key groups we will be focussing on are the unemployed (including NEETs) and disabled people, those with physical and/or cognitive difficulties, and we are looking to work with organisations who have expertise in these areas. Within the Specialist Network we have funding to support a small number of Funded Specialist Centres who have expertise in reaching, engaging and supporting these groups.
Community Hubs
We will fund a small number of Community Hubs which will undertake local community development using digital technology. They will deliver across a wide area to develop the skills, knowledge and capacity of local people and organisations using technology to engage and support their communities, identifying and responding to local needs. Community Hubs will replace the current Community Capacity Builders programme (CCB), and organisations that are currently funded under the CCB programme will have to submit new applications to be considered as a Community Hub.
Funded Specialist Centres and Community Hubs can read more detailed information about funding here after logging in.
