ICT Learning Centres
(now UK Online)
Update - you can still apply for round 3
In June microsyster posted information about the 'ICT Learning Centres' inniative by the DfEE. At the time the information we had was that if a group or partnership of groups wanted to apply for any of the joint funding from the DfEE (Department for Employment and Education) and from NoF (New Opportunities Fund) they would need to either apply by the April deadline or put in an 'expression of interest' by that deadline. The purpose of the notice was to advise groups, specifically those working in the voluntary and community sector, of an informal extension to the deadline.
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However, there was a briefing meeting for groups who had expressed an intention to apply for this funding in Round 2 (deadline 6th October 2000) held on 22nd September 2000 by GoL (Goverment Office for London) who are assessing London based applications. Here are some of the points made at the meeting:
- applications can still be made for Round 3 of the funding (May 2001)
whether or not you have put in an expression of interest
- applications from London based groups were considered to be less innovative than those from other areas
- part of the purpose of the meeting was to clarify the intent of the funding and who it is aimed, for instance to encourage groups to come up with 'wacky' ideas that would ensure local people wanted to return because they had had 'fun'
- the purpose of the centres should be to help:
- change the world
- challenge the digital divide
- tackle the need for social inclusion
- the intention of the funding should not be seen as:
- an extension to FE
- about training to tackle the skills shortage
- running repetitive NVQ courses from 9 to 5
- competion between access providers in a ward or borough
- the application form was acknowledged to be a problem, not only because the assessors had difficulty in using the information to get a clear picture of the intention of a proposed ICT Learning Centre (they recommended attaching a brief two page overview), but also because the form gave the impression that proposals had to be linked (approved by) the local borough and UFI proposals for the area
As part of ensuring 'transparency' about the process GoL agreed that it would make available:
- the briefing notes used at the meeting
- the assessment criteria
- the scoring criteria
- the list of London based groups who had expressed an interest
- the list of successful bids
For further information and any of these lists contact the Government Office for London:
You can also find more information about this funding on the DfEE site, including:
Or contact the DfEE ICT Learning Centres Team:
** These proposed centres should not be confused with another application process for existing centres to be formally recognised and 'branded' as 'UK Online Centres'
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