More people across the UK, including residents in Ealing, are set to get online through a new £9.5m government fund aimed at tackling digital inequality.
The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, unveiled last week (13 August 2025), will channel money to local councils, charities and community groups to expand grassroots projects such as technology workshops and schemes donating laptops and phones to those without internet access.
Ealing Council confirmed to EALING.NEWS it is working on a bid to secure funding from the initiative together with voluntary sector partners and community organisations, with a focus on improving access to devices, data and skills.
Research suggests that 7.9 million adults across the UK lack basic digital skills, while 1.6 million people remain entirely offline. Ministers said those excluded are missing out on essential opportunities, from applying for jobs and accessing healthcare remotely to saving money on bills, with offline households sometimes paying 25% more for everyday goods and services.
Announcing the funding, telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can’t access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers. Digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just something that’s nice to have, and it forms a critical part of our Plan for Change.
“Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job. Through this funding we’re moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.”
The government said the fund would be directed through devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while in England organisations can bid for grants of between £25,000 and £500,000. Ministers hope successful initiatives can be scaled up across the country.
A spokesperson for Ealing Council told EALING.NEWS: “We welcome the UK government’s announcement of £9.5 million for the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, which aims to support councils and charities in helping more people get online. Tackling digital exclusion is critical to improving access to essential services, boosting chances to get work and reducing inequalities, especially during a time when the cost of living continues to impact our community.
“Ealing Council is working on a bid to secure funding from this initiative together with voluntary sector partners and community organisations. As part of the bid we are looking to focus on improving access to devices, data and skills.
“Digital inclusion is embedded in our cost of living work and is part of our broader strategy to improve financial resilience, access to services and community wellbeing.”
The fund builds on the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan, published earlier this year, which set out the first wave of steps to close the gap. Officials say tackling digital exclusion will be central to boosting growth and raising living standards under the wider “Plan for Change.”
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