Access Foundation grants
Access Foundation funds charities working to close the digital divide, generally awarding grants between £20,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting no more than a year.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Access Foundation exists to mitigate the digital divide, by making computing facilities, support and learning available to disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Grants are generally between £20,000 and £50,000, and will normally support a project lasting no more than a year. It supports charities in the UK, Ireland, Romania, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. There are no application deadlines, and it aims to approve or decline your request within 16 weeks of submission. It will not fund general running costs or overheads, Community Interest Companies, individuals, animal charities, religious activity or political activity.
What they fund
The Charity Commission register records this charity under general charitable purposes. Its own grant making policy is much narrower, focusing on the digital divide.
Who and where
The register lists several countries alongside England and Wales. Its own apply page gives its own list: the UK, Ireland, Romania, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The two lists do not match exactly, so use its own page.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Access Foundation says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“To mitigate the digital divide by making computing facilities, support and learning available to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Grant Making Policy & Procedures →
Who they say they'll fund
“We support charities in the UK, Ireland, Romania, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
What they say they won't fund
“applications for organisations' general running costs or overheads;”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
“religious organisations or religious activity;”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
“applications with any political activity (eg lobbying government or campaigning for a change in law).”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
“applications from Community Interest Companies (CICs)”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
“charities whose aim is to support animals; or”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
“applications for grants from individuals”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
Grant sizes they mention
“We generally award grants between £20,000 and £50,000. This funding will normally support a project that lasts no more than a year.”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
Deadlines they mention
“There are no application deadlines. We aim to have approved or declined your request within 16 weeks of you submitting your application.”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
How they say to apply
“Each completed application is assessed by our Trustees. All applications are put into a process where they will be assessed against each other for potential funding.”
Source: theaccessgroupfoundation.com — Apply - The Access Foundation →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The trustees shall hold the capital and income of the trust fund upon trust to pay or apply the income, and all or such part or parts of the capital, at such time or times and in such manner to, or for the benefit of, such charitable purposes for the public benefit as are exclusively charitable according to the law of…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does Access Foundation give?
It generally awards grants between £20,000 and £50,000, and that funding will normally support a project that lasts no more than a year. We do not have a typical (median) award figure for this funder. Its most recent Charity Commission return records £2,477,944 in grants to organisations.
What does Access Foundation fund?
Its grant making policy describes its purpose as mitigating the digital divide by making computing facilities, support and learning available to disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Its Charity Commission entry records general charitable purposes, with grants going to other charities and voluntary bodies.
Who can apply?
It says it supports charities in the UK, Ireland, Romania, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. It does not accept applications from Community Interest Companies (CICs), or applications for grants from individuals.
What won't Access Foundation fund?
It does not fund applications from Community Interest Companies (CICs), or applications for grants from individuals. It excludes charities whose aim is to support animals, and religious organisations or religious activity. It also excludes applications involving any political activity, such as lobbying government or campaigning for a change in law, and applications for organisations' general running costs or overheads.
How do I apply?
There are no application deadlines, and it aims to have approved or declined your request within 16 weeks of you submitting your application. Each completed application is assessed by its trustees, and all applications are assessed against each other for potential funding. Check the funder's own website (www.theaccessgroupfoundation.com) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1194267) for current guidance, as processes can change.
Is your charity a fit for Access Foundation?
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Access Foundation.