Grant Round 14
Not sure if you can apply?
If you are not sure if your school might qualify for either an equity grant or individual school grants then below you will find some frequently asked questions that may clarify your position. If you are still unsure then please contact us and we will should be able to answer your concerns.
Equity Programme Grant
Q. We are still planning our programme so are not yet affiliated, can we apply?
A. No, you need to be affiliated to apply so contact the Foundation, tell us what you are planning to do, and we can advise you on whether your project is likely to meet our affiliation criteria.
Q. Does the school have to contribute towards the programme?
A. The Trustees would normally expect to see a financial commitment by the school towards personalised learning resources for pupils. If your school is unable to release any funds towards the project, please explain why.
Q. We can’t afford the administration resources to run this programme?
A. The Donation Management Service collects all the regular donations from parents for you. Once the school has recruited parents into contributing to its e-learning programme, it can hand it over to us to handle the collection process and reporting.
Q. Our parents have limited means so their contributions will not amount to much?
A. Many families on Free School Meals will have been eligible for a free computer under the Home Access programme so may now decide to opt out of your equity programme. A grant from the e-Learning Foundation will help a school ensure the required donation level is affordable to all other low income families. And with the falling price of portable computers and the Internet, a modest monthly or quarterly donation can sustain a 2 or 3 year programme.
Q. We are worried about parents cancelling their donations after a period of time.
A. One way round this is to ask for three annual donations that reduce in value. The first would be for 50% of the total donation and be payable before the project starts, 30% would be payable after 12 months and just 20% at the end of the second year.
Q. We lack the necessary capital to buy the computers upfront while we wait for parental donations to come in.
A. The e-Learning Foundation has recently gone into a partnership with the leasing company Investec and we can make sure that you have a lease that a school is allowed to sign, meets Operating Lease standards, and works well with an e-Learning Foundation programme with parents gaining ownership at the end of the term for a sum to be agreed.
Q. Do we have to buy laptops?
A. No, you choose the hardware you think is right for you. You may also use the funds to purchase USB dongles for home access to the Internet. The only requirement is that the programme extends access to learning technologies for pupils into the home.
Q. Can I use my grant to pay for staff training, technical support or training for parents?
A. Unfortunately the money we have available this year is restricted to capital items only.
Q. We don’t want the hassle of starting our own charity to benefit from Gift Aid
A. If you sign up to our Donation Management Service then you will not need your own charity.
Q. We need more resources for the classrooms before we start worrying about home access.
A. This grant scheme is not for you as it is specifically aimed at schools that want to do something about the digital divide and access outside the school building and the school day. Sorry!
Individual Support Grants
Q. We are still planning our programme so are not yet affiliated, can we apply?
A. No, you need to be affiliated to apply so contact the Foundation, tell us what you are planning to do, and we can advise you on whether your project is likely to meet our affiliation criteria.
Q. Does the school have to contribute towards the programme
A. No. Schools should not contribute towards the Individual Support Grant as the family is expected to pay the balance.
Q. Can we pay towards the parents 50% element?
A. No, they are required to make a 50% contribution in order to be able to own the devices.
Q. Can we use the Donation Management Service to collect the parents payments?
A. No, these are not charitable donations and do not qualify for Gift Aid.
Q. Our parents have limited means
A. Your school may be better off running an equity scheme and supporting all your families. If families are unable to contribute their half up front then the grant will not be payable. However, your school’s purchasing clout should enable you to buy notebooks for about £200 leaving the families with about £100 to find.
Q. We lack the necessary capital to buy the computers upfront while we wait for parental payments to come in.
A. You can either rely on the 30 days credit that is normal with school purchasing, or else ask that the parents pay for all of the computer upfront and you then claim the agreed grant down and repay them. However, their proof of purchase must post-date our grant offer letter.
Q. Do we have to buy laptops?
A. No, families can choose the computer hardware they think is right for them but you should satisfy yourself that their choice is apppropriate. You may also use the funds to purchase USB dongles for home access to the Internet. The only requirement is that the programme extends access to learning technologies for pupils into the home.