Local residents of Newport, Wales, and Ealing, West London are encouraged to apply for funds to support community-led projects. The Microsoft Wales and West London Community funds, run by non-profit ChangeX, are dedicated to helping build thriving and sustainable communities and will support community projects related to environmental sustainability and digital skills.    Communities will be able to choose from a portfolio of proven ideas that have already had a positive impact in other communities around the world or apply for funding to start a new project or expand an existing one. Funding of up to £5,000 per project is available.

The proven ideas on offer through the funds include:  

• Digital and AI skills programmes: helping people of all ages build confidence with technology and prepare for future job opportunities
• Environmental and Sustainability: such as climate awareness initiatives, biodiversity activities, or local conservation efforts
• School and youth-focused programmes: supporting hands-on learning in areas like energy saving, science and digital skills
• Community empowerment initiatives: helping people of all ages build confidence with technology and prepare for future job opportunities

How to apply for the ChangeX Wales Community Fund:

• Visit the ChangeX site and apply today to lead a ChangeX community project in Newport. 
• Applicants who wish to start one of the proven ideas on offer will have to complete a number of simple steps, including creating a project team (a group of people from your community e.g. teachers, parents etc) and developing an action plan in order to unlock their seed funding. Once these steps are completed, applicants will be considered eligible for initial funding. Funding will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Those who apply for funding for their own project will be asked to provide an action plan and a simple budget. Applications will be assessed on a range of criteria, such as feasibility, impact and scope.  

The deadline for applications is 30th June 2026.

How to apply for the ChangeX West London Community Challenge:

• Visit the ChangeX site and apply today to lead a ChangeX community project in West London. 
• Applicants who wish to start one of the proven ideas on offer will have to complete a number of simple steps, including creating a project team (a group of people from your community e.g. teachers, parents etc) and developing an action plan in order to unlock their seed funding. Once these steps are completed, applicants will be considered eligible for initial funding. Funding will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Those who apply for funding for their own project will be asked to provide an action plan and a simple budget. Applications will be assessed on a range of criteria, such as feasibility, impact and scope

The deadline for applications is 22nd July 2026.

About the ChangeX and Microsoft partnership:

To date, Microsoft and ChangeX have launched more than 70 community funds across multiple countries, funding more than 1100 community projects and benefitting about 450,000 people. Microsoft is committed to supporting these projects as a part of its Datacentre Community Pledge to establish a positive and lasting impact in the communities where its datacentres are located.