GrantRadar

The WCIT Charity (Worshipful Company of Information Technologists)

WCIT Charity grants

The WCIT Charity gives grants of up to £15,000 to UK-registered charities for innovative technology projects in four focus areas: inclusion, education, tech for charities, and public understanding of technology. Technology must be the core of the project, not just a tool, and off-the-shelf hardware, software licences and websites are not funded. The current round opened on 21 September 2026 and closes on 3 November 2026, or sooner once 50 applications have been received; rounds reopen every three months. The charity received 205 applications and made three grants last quarter, and reports £26,795 left for 2026, so competition is very strong.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £15,000
Closes in
16 days left
3 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • UK-registered charities whose beneficiaries are in the UK
  • The charity must have been registered with the Charity Commission or OSCR for more than 12 months, and must have both annual income and unrestricted reserves below £1 million (the reserves limit is applied strictly)
  • Small and medium-sized charities are preferred
  • Not eligible: CICs or other not-for-profit groups or organisations, schools, academies or PTAs (except existing partner schools), individuals, private companies, and local authorities or councils
  • An organisation whose application is unsuccessful cannot reapply for 12 months
  • Charities may apply to other funders for the same project, but must declare any success elsewhere, which cancels the WCIT request

What it funds

Innovative projects where technology is a core part of the objective, in one of four focus areas:

  • Inclusion (digital inclusion, accessibility and participation for people facing barriers to technology)
  • Education (innovative approaches to learning outcomes and digital literacy, and tech-enabled educational tools)
  • Tech for charities (testing, developing or applying innovative technologies that improve a charity's services or efficiency)
  • Public understanding of technology (a small area)

Projects must benefit at least 25 people in the UK, deliver clear, measurable outcomes, request no more than £300 per direct beneficiary, and the grant must cover at least 25% of the total project budget.

Pilots are welcome.

The charity is particularly interested in AI, data and analytics, robotics, digital skills and accessibility technologies.

Staff costs linked to the project can be included, but not as the whole request.

Adaptive technologies are the one exception to the hardware exclusion.

Grants typically range from £5,000 to £15,000.

What it will not fund

  • Website creation or redesign
  • Off-the-shelf hardware or software, including laptops, tablets, robotics kits, monitors, mobile phones and commercially available software licences or subscriptions (adaptive technologies excepted)
  • Networking or telephony costs
  • Apps for income generation or staff administration
  • Consultancy fees
  • Core running costs or routine operating costs
  • Existing services, or projects already delivered
  • Continuing an existing service without a new technological element
  • Political or lobbying activity
  • Loans, debt repayment or endowment-building
  • Projects whose beneficiaries are outside the UK
  • Spending committed before the grant was awarded, unless approved in writing

How to apply

  1. Read the eligibility criteria, FAQs and grant-making policy on the Apply for a grant page
  2. Optionally email charity@wcit.org.uk or call 020 3871 0255 to check your proposal's eligibility
  3. Optionally draft your answers offline using the application form template (Word)
  4. Submit the application through the online portal while the round is open (21 September to 3 November 2026, or until 50 applications are received)
  5. Applications are checked for basic compliance and reviewed against the criteria; a shortlist goes to the Charitable Operations Committee
  6. Shortlisted applicants asking for more than £5,000 may have their external referee contacted
  7. If successful, agree the terms and conditions and reporting requirements before payment is released

The round closes early once 50 applications are received, so apply early.

No individual feedback is given to unsuccessful applicants, who must wait 12 months before reapplying.

If you used AI to help, the form asks for the prompts used and an example of how you corrected the AI's output.

Have ready

  • Document proving your organisation's charitable status
  • Most recent audited or independently examined accounts
  • Budget breakdown of the requested amount (uploaded file)
  • Contact details of an external referee (for grants above £5,000)
  • Up-to-date safeguarding policy, if the project involves children or vulnerable adults
  • Copy of the PSC (Persons with Significant Control) register, if your organisation is a CIC or company limited by guarantee

Optional extra attachments such as photos or promotional material may be added (29MB total).

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