Digital Hubs – Application Window Closed
Thank you to all the community groups and organisations who applied to become a Digital Hub. The application window for the current scheme closed at 5pm on Tuesday 30 September 2025.
We are now reviewing and assessing the applications received. Successful applicants will be notified and supported through the next stages of the process, including grant award, setup, and monitoring.
Although applications for this round are closed, we still welcome expressions of interest from community venues across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Use our Contact page to get in touch. This helps us to map demand and explore future opportunities to support digital access and skills in local communities.
Overview
The Digital Hubs scheme is part of Connecting Cambridgeshire’s commitment to tackling digital exclusion by enabling trusted local venues to offer digital access and support.
Through this scheme, we are providing small grants of up to £4,200 to help successful applicants procure connectivity solutions and digital devices, and deliver digital skills and confidence-building support to their communities.
Digital Hubs are designed to offer place-based, holistic digital inclusion support through trusted partners with strong local relationships.
We are currently reviewing applications received during the open window, for Hubs in Cambridgshire, and will be working closely with successful applicants to set up and monitor their hubs.
The scheme is being delivered in Peterborough by our partners at Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS), who are supporting local venues to become Digital Hubs.
Volunteer training for Digital Hub staff is being provided by Cambridge Online, helping to build confidence and skills to support digital inclusion in communities.
The scheme has already received strong support, including from Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, who visited a Peterborough Digital Hub to champion community-led digital inclusion. Read the full story
Eligibility Criteria
Applications for this round are now closed, but for reference, eligible applicants needed to:
- Own/manage a community space that is publicly accessible
- Be able to offer reasonable public access hours for digital inclusion support.
- Be located at a suitable distance from existing public services offering similar support (e.g. libraries).
- Be able to contract directly with a connectivity service provider.
- Be able to buy, store, and maintain digital devices for community use.
- Have a designated point of contact to act as a ‘Project Manager’ on the Digital Champions platform.
If your venue meets these criteria and you’re interested in future opportunities, please get in touch to express your interest.
Additional Information
Applications are now being assessed by a panel of Connecting Cambridgeshire officers, County Council representatives, and local partners.
Successful applicants will receive an Award Letter outlining the grant offer and next steps, followed by an Acceptance Letter confirming grant use, monitoring, and evaluation processes.
We will work with successful applicants to monitor delivery and evaluate the impact of the hubs on their communities. This includes access to the National Digital Inclusion Network and the Digital Champions platform, which will provide staff and volunteers the support and resources to help them deliver digital inclusion skills and confidence to those who attend a Digital Hub.
We will also be conducting a final impact evaluation using the information gathered from the Digital Hub administrators to better understand the overall impact of the scheme.
Resources
Although applications are closed, you can still view the Application Guidance, Application Form and Conditions of Grant for reference.
The road to becoming a digital hub
Here’s how the process works for successful applicants:
- Apply: Application form to become a digital hub to be completed during the open window.
- Review: A panel from Connecting Cambridgeshire will assess your application.
- Award: If successful, you’ll get an ‘Award Letter’ with details of the grant amount.
- Accept: Sign and return the ‘Acceptance Letter’ agreeing to the grant conditions.
- Monitor: We’ll work with you to keep track of how the hubs are doing and help you set up your own monitoring processes.
- Evaluate: We’ll do a final impact evaluation based on your ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities.
