Earlier this year Doteveryone set up the £500 Grants for Fairer Events initiative to carve out more ways for people who are often excluded from tech events to attend them, speak at them and help run them.

As WIRED UK pointed out, the grants have a practical focus that show how implementing a few small changes can make a big difference.

In the first round we supported three successful events and we’re now delighted to welcome submissions for round two of our Fairer Events Grants. Applications will be accepted until 23 October.

The opportunities our first round of recipients supported

1. Non-Binary in Tech (NBiT)

Non-Binary in Tech wanted to make sure that participants based outside of London could afford to come to the event. They invested their grant money in seven travel scholarships to make getting to London easier.

Participant feedback

“NBiT should be used as an example for other tech conferences, in terms of accessibility done right and empowering diverse voices. The talks — empowering, self-caring, inquisitive — were definitely the highlight of the event. NBiT’s first edition was a very strong one and I hope to be able to come back next year!”

2. Liverpool MakeFest 2017

Liverpool MakeFest invested their grant money in making the event more accessible to people with disabilities and various access needs, with a specific focus on inclusion for young people:

• Hiring two personal assistants for young people with disabilities (physical and learning) to help recruit makers for MakeFest 2017. This enabled young people with disabilities to have a voice and role in the organising of and decision-making behind the event and ensured that specific activities at the event had inclusion at their heart.
• Hiring two access stewards for MakeFest 2017 to enhance the accessibility of the event by ensuring walkways were accessible for wheelchair users, providing one-to-one support for people with disabilities to participate and welcoming people with disabilities (physical, learning and mental) and vulnerable people (e.g., elderly, people with low confidence in large crowds) at the event.
• Purchasing an access ramp to make the stage wheelchair accessible.

Feedback from the organisers

“In essence, it has heightened our team’s awareness of inclusion and has given the flexibility due to resourcing to offer innovative inclusion features to the event such as Access Steward. We have learned a lot through this and will implement this knowledge in future events and when seeking funding for similar events in order to make ‘access’ top of the agenda.”

Participant feedback

“It’s the best day ever.”

Megan worked with MakerFest on the event to film and photograph the activities, and they were able to provide her with the support of a Mentor and Access Steward. Read the post Megan wrote about MakerFest 2017 here.

3. iCame, iSaw, iConnected: Inverclyde Digital Inclusion Information Day

Presented by Software Training Scotland

iCame, iSaw, iConnected was an open door event for the people of Inverclyde, an area of known multiple disadvantage in Scotland. Hosted by Software Training Scotland, it was be an opportunity for local people, many of whom don’t have digital skills or in some cases internet access to get free resources and support.

Feedback from the organisers

“One thing that proved particularly popular was using price comparison sites to check different energy and phone/broadband deals. Many participants had the preconception that this was a lot more difficult a task than it turned out to be and some of them found that they could save in excess of £200 by checking their deals and providers online. This was perhaps the most satisfying element that myself and the team took away from the day as one of our main goals was to show participants how technology can benefit their day to day lives.”

Participant feedback

“I can’t believe how much money I could save by going online to compare my energy prices…I’ll be doing that from now on.”

Here are some more of the types of opportunities we’re looking to support:

• Creche facilities to ensure parents can attend or speak at your event
• Speaker training for people who might not have ever spoken in front of crowds before
• Bursaries to ensure speakers and interns are paid fairly for their time
• Subsidised travel for people who live outside an event’s host city
• Resources that improve accessibility, including sign language interpreters, venues, transport, audio description, etc.
• Funding for ethical technology sessions that teach more about empowering and protecting people online

How to submit your application

If you’d like to submit an application to our second round of Fairer Events grants, please submit an application here. Your event must be taking place in the next 6 months and be based in the UK. Recipients will be announced on November 11 through Medium and Twitter.

Entries close on Friday the 27th of October.