Informal overview of Nominet Trust Programmes of Investment

1. www.nominettrust.org.uk
Pre-app web chat
June 2013
dan.sutch@nominettrust.org.uk
@nominettrust @dansutch

2. We believe that the use of
digital technology can transform
the way we address big social
challenges, so we bring
together, invest in and support
people and organisations to do
this.
• Social investments and grants of c£5m per year
• Aim to demonstrate how digital technology can be used to redesign the way we address
persistent social challenges
• Aim to support (in addition to funding) to scale the social and economic impact
• Foundation charity of Nominet – the .UK domain registry (10m+ .uk websites)
• Direct relationship with Nominet’s public purpose & strength of their membership
Our mission

3. Research and Insight (Knowledge Centre)

4. Grant making and social investment

5. Podnosh ‘Recording Real Lives’
Capturing voices of disconnected
people for social policy makers
Futuregov ‘Patchwork’
Supporting and improving
communication between key local
authority workers around the family
‘Innovation Labs’
Developing digital technology to
support young people’s mental health
- with Comic Relief & Right Here
‘Memory Box’
Collecting digital memories for
recollection activities for people
suffering from dementia
‘Discoverables’
Helping young people
discover, develop and demonstrate
skills for employability
Carers UK ‘Jointly’
Supporting time-poor carers to
manage caring responsibilities with
busy lives

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Transistor_Count_and_Moore%27s_Law_-_2011.svg
Many examples of significant
tech-driven/tech-enabled
changes – where for social-tech?

7. This requires:
• Creativity and imagination for how else we might address
these issues
• Risk taking and testing of these new approaches
• Entrepreneurship and willingness
• Aspiration, persistence and tenacity
• (openness, collaboration...)
The use of digital technology provides remarkable
opportunities to redesign how we address persistent social
challenges
It’s not just a lack of space suits...

8. Redesigning our approach to social innovation
Affordances of
digital Tech
Social
Entrepreneurship
Designing from
‘first principles’
Consider together, the:
Affordances of digital technology
The values & energy of social
entrepreneurship and social business
Look again at the challenges and
redesign approaches

9. • Social Tech, Social Change
• Digital Edge
• Life Transitions
Investment programmes

10. To discover, to help demonstrate and test the potential of a new approach
that uses digital technology to address a persistent social challenge.
Social Tech, Social Change
Discover by bfishadow ccFlickr

11. Social Tech, Social Change is looking to address
Put simply, this funding programme has been
developed to help demonstrate the potential
of a new approach that uses digital technology
to address a persistent social challenge. The
fund aims to help develop and test these
early-stage ideas

12. What do you need?
Tested team with an idea, or an idea that has already (in
some way) been tested
Previous seed funding; tested prototype
An aspiration to address a social challenge through the use
of digital technology beyond this funding
Commitment to testing and developing your approach
An understanding of how this approach is different from
existing ways of addressing the social challenge
A way of developing the product/activity within a year

13. What we’re offering
Up to £50k investment – budget based on need
Support to develop, test and demonstrate your work
Personal/professional development links through our
Funder+ activities
Links to our network of social-tech innovators
Potential further support and development if the approach
tests well (further investment, links etc)
An opportunity to build experience and a case for your idea
that can be presented for further development

15. Digital Edge
How can digital technology be used to enable new ways to
support young people, through professional services or new
models of engagement?
How can technology enable young people to create new
opportunities to be economically active, or engage in new
forms of reward?
How can we use digital technology to enable new ways for
policy makers, practitioners and commissioners to be
informed about the needs of young people in the environment
in which they work.

16. How digital technology can be used to support people through transitions
across the lifecourse
Life Transitions

17. Life Transitions is looking to address
How can digital technology be used to
Support individuals during periods of transition
Assist those who are helping others going through times of
transition (as professionals, peers or family members)
Support people through transitions in later life

18. Current deadlines
Stage 1
application
deadline
Stage 2
application
deadline
Board’s decision
Social Tech, Social Change
17th July 14th Aug October
Digital Edge
4th Sept 2nd Oct December
Life Transitions
4th Sept 2nd Oct December

19. Dan Sutch dan.sutch@nominettrust.org.uk

20. Social Tech, Social Change http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/what-we-support/our-
investment-programmes/social-tech-social-change
Digital Edge http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/what-we-support/our-investment-
programmes/digital-edge
Life Transitions http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/what-we-support/our-investment-
programmes/life-transitions
How to apply http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/how-to-apply
Application deadlines http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/how-to-apply/application-deadlines
FAQs http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/faq/how-apply
This presentation http://www.slideshare.net/Dannno/io-ftechnologyds
Useful links
More descriptions of Social Tech, Social Good, links to ‘how to apply’ and some further background info.

21. The successful application of new ideas generated
at the intersection of insight and invention, which
leads to the creation of social or economic value
Insight understanding the context, histories and work of others
Invention finding and developing the best ideas
Application putting ideas into practice
Value capturing outcomes, impact and learning
Social Innovation