The Local Digital Fund

Through the Local Digital Fund, we have helped councils implement the Local Digital Declaration by supporting collaborative council-led projects that address widespread local challenges.

In the short term, there are no plans for further funding through the current Local Digital Fund model. Our immediate focus is supporting our funded projects to deliver their outputs and share these across the sector to maximise their impact.

On this page you can learn more about what the Fund has achieved and read about previously funded projects.

What the Local Digital Fund has achieved

Since the Local Digital Fund was introduced in July 2018, we have provided over £16 million of funding and support to 61 council-led projects.

The projects we have funded have addressed common challenges within a broad range of service areas, such as housing, social care and waste management. Many projects have produced outputs that are available for other councils to learn from and reuse, including back office systems, data standards and publishing platforms.

Each project we fund has its own webpage where you can follow their progress and view their outputs. View all funded projects.

Through the Local Digital Declaration and the Local Digital Fund, we’ve championed a collaborative approach to improving local public services. We’ve provided support and expert advice across project management, product ownership, agile delivery, user research and service design. We’ve also provided training to over 3000 council staff to develop their digital and cyber skills.

The future of the Local Digital Fund

Following an intensive period of review, and informed by insights from our conversations with councils, we are adapting our approach to take on a more strategic role as a ‘steward’.

We will continue to make grants to local government, as well as providing integral support and expertise to support councils to build, accelerate and advance their digital maturity. However, there are no plans for further funding through the current Local Digital Fund model in the short term. Read more about how we’re adapting our approach in 2024.

To find out about our plans to support the sector going forwards and how you can get involved, subscribe to our newsletter.

Learn about past funding opportunities