Charities to offer grants to get people online

Nominet Trust will collaborate with Online Centres to support grassroots organisations looking to get people connected

Community IT charity Nominet Trust has teamed up with 3,000 UK Online Centres to provide £500,000 in grant funding for grassroots organisations working to get more people online.

The funding will be called the Community Outreach Fund and support innovative outreach projects.

The fund opens today and applications will close on 15 August. Grants of up to £5,000 are available, and projects will be delivered between September 2011 and March 2012.

The UK Online Centres, which provide millions with access to technology and deliver online courses, will be managing the grants.

Managing director of the centres, Helen Milner, said: "Making computers and the internet relevant is key to getting the nine million or so left offline to give online life a go, and that's as much about location as it is about content."

Nominet Trust's director, Annika Small, added: "The Nominet Trust believes in the internet as a force for social good. We fund projects that help people get online, be safe online, and change their world for the better."

To find out more about the grants, or to complete the application form, click on this link.