charities.connected

National Databank Information Session - Wednesday 7 October 2026, 10am to 11am

National Databank Information Session - Tuesday 3 November 2026, 2pm to 3pm

Charities can apply for connectivity on our charities.connected application page

Applications open bi-monthly, for a one-week period. Applications will be open from 1-8 of each month and again from 15-22 of each month.

If the dates outlined fall on a weekend, applications open or close on the following working day.

The person applying on behalf of the charity will need to answer a few questions to explain how the free connectivity will help to tackle digital exclusion.

Those applying should have a look at our terms and conditions before starting the application process.

You can get involved by raising awareness of our charities.connected scheme to local charities.

Once the application has been submitted, we will aim to respond to confirm whether they have been successful within four weeks.

Yes. As long as each application shows how the charity’s proposed use of the free connectivity would tackle digital exclusion, they can apply as many times as they like.

Each application will be reviewed individually, regardless of how many applications have been submitted.

SIM cards will need to be activated within 18 months of receiving them.

Insert the SIM into a compatible and unlocked device, the connectivity will then automatically be activated.

Once activated, the user will receive a welcome SMS to let them know it’s up and running.

If the device is locked to another network (that isn't Vodafone), the user will need to contact that provider to ask them for a Network Unlock Code (NUC).

The SIM cards will come with a new phone number.

If users want to keep their existing phone number, they will need to request a PAC code from their network provider.

More info on this process can be found on the keep my number page

Each user will have 40GB of data available each month.

Once this limit is exceeded, they will need to wait until their next 30 days begins before the 40GB of data refreshes. For example, if you activated your SIM on 1 January 2025, the data will renew again on 31 January 2025.

The user will be sent a message when they have used 80% of their data allowance and another message when 100% has been used up.

Their calls and texts will still remain unlimited throughout.

Users will be notified by SMS that they're on their last month and any unused allowance on the SIM card will not be carried forward at the end of the last 30 days.

The user can then decide if they want to carry on using the SIM. If so, they simply need to top up and buy a new 'Big Value Bundle'.

If the user no longer wants to use SIM, they can simply let it expire.

If there is no outbound activity (making a call, sending an SMS, using data or topping up credit) after 180 days, the number will be disconnected.