Technology Grant Scheme Terms And Conditions updated September 2022

Technology Grant Scheme Terms And Conditions
The Technology Grant Scheme enables members to claim financial
assistance towards the cost of computer hardware, repairs and upgrades.

On this page you will find the following information:
• Who is eligible?
• How much can I get?
• What things are covered by the grant?
• How do I make a claim?
• How does the process work?
• Other important information.
Please be sure to read all the information here carefully before making
a request for a grant, and if you have any questions then please contact
us on:

exec@tafn.org.uk

Who is eligible:

Any person who has been a full member of TAFN for a minimum of eighteen months can apply for a grant.
The maximum amount of the grant per month will be £200. If the cost of the computer which is the subject of the grant is less than the above-mentioned figure, then that amount will be paid.
Thereafter, no further applications will be accepted for Five years from the date the original grant is agreed.

What is covered by the grant?
Computer Hardware Purchases.
The grant can be used to purchase a new computer or laptop as long as it
is capable of running the team talk software
Computers which are sold with pre-installed operating systems that do not support the
running of the Team Talk software will not qualify for a Grant. PC desktops, laptops and netbooks
running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or Windows 11, will be eligible together with other devises such as Iphones, Tablets, etc., which will allow access to the Team Talk Server.
Computer Hardware Repairs.
The grant can be used towards the cost of repairing an existing PC
including both parts and labour. All such repairs should be carried out
by a professional, It is not
acceptable to get your friend to fix it for you and claim labour cost
unless it is done as part of his/her normal job as a computer repairer.
Computer Hardware Upgrades.
The grant can be used to purchase new components and peripherals for the
purpose of upgrading an existing PC system. Labour costs may also be
claimed as with repairs if needed. Examples of qualifying items would be
but are not limited to memory chips, processors, sound cards and
external hard drives for backup purposes.
Software updates(SMA’S)
The cost of updateing sma’s (software maintenance agreement)
a grant to cover up to £75 toward the SMA for JAWS,(JOB ACCESS WITH SPEECH)
is allowed once the relevant documentation has been recieved by the treasurer.

How do I make a grant request?
1. First ensure that you are eligible to make a request.
2. Next check that the item you are requesting a grant for is covered by
the scheme.
3. Purchase the item or have the work completed and obtain a full
detailed receipt.
4. Contact our grants email address providing details of your request
and attaching a scanned copy of the receipt. (If you do not have access
to a scanner you may post a copy of the receipt and details of how to do
this will be provided at a later date.).
5. In due course you will be notified whether your grant request has
been successful, and if it is then arrangements will be made for the
money to be transferred to you.
How does the process work?
Each month we budget to honour grants of up to £200. This can be either
one grant for the full amount or a number of grants totalling £200. If
the full amount is not paid out in a month then the remaining balance is
rolled into the following month so that a larger amount is available.
This is done to ensure that a fair distribution of grants throughout the
year is made.
When you make a grant request it is assessed alongside all other
requests made in the same month, and the executive committee decides
which one or ones to honour based on the available money left in the
budget. This decision is normally made at the first meeting of the
executive committee after the end of the month. If a request is not
honoured due to lack of budget in the month then the request will be
carried over to the next month where it will again be assessed alongside
any other requests. This method of Carrying over will be continued until
either the person making the requests withdraws the request or the
request has been carried over for 6 consecutive months. As much as we
would like to honour all requests made to us we are not able to do this.
If a request is not honoured for reasons other than limitation on budget
then the request will not be carried over and the person making the
request will be informed by email as soon as possible.
Other Important Information
• All requests are kept strictly confidential and treated equally and
without prejudice by the executive committee, and in return we expect
that the details and handling of your request are not made known to any
third parties by yourself.
• All decisions made by the executive committee are final and not open
to appeal, unless in cases where the person making the request feels
that they have not been treated fairly or equally according to the rules
in which case complaints should be made to the Exec committee.
• All grants are considered retrospectively and a decision to purchase
should not be made on an indication or suggestion that you may receive
the grant. Furthermore, no applicant will be considered for a grant unless they have been regular users of the Team Talk software for the six months preceding the date of the application. In order to keep the scheme fair and protect it from abuse it
is necessary to work in this way. All grants are considered after the
purchase of goods and services and making a request is no guarantee that
you will receive the grant.
• A request for a grant may not be made on any goods or services that
were purchased more than 3 months prior to the original request date. If
a request is carried over then the 3 month rule is applied to the date
that the first request was made.
• No grant will be made until all detailed receipts are received and if
necessary verified.
• Requests for grants may not be pooled by multiple members. All members
who meet the requirements are entitled to make requests but they must be
for separate items and will be considered individually.
• The scheme runs from November to October and is subject to review by
the executive committee on an annual basis.
• the provision of a monthly budget is no guarantee of available funds,
and should circumstances change the executive committee reserves the
right to alter the amount available, suspend the scheme or cancel it
permanently if it deems it necessary.
• The executive committee reserves the right to alter the terms and
conditions of this scheme at any time.