Donate-IT Referral Programme Policy

1. Purpose
1.1 The Donate-IT Referral Programme enables partner organisations to support their residents, clients, or service users in accessing a refurbished device through Inclusive Bytes CIC.

1.2 The programme provides a prioritised allocation ahead of the standard waiting list, a supported handover, and basic digital orientation for the recipient.

1.3 The referral fee funds service delivery — staff time, device preparation, and support. The device itself is provided free of charge to the recipient. No donated device is sold under this programme.

1.4 The referral fee must be met by the referring organisation. It may not be charged to, recovered from, or requested of the recipient in any form.

2. Who Can Make a Referral
2.1 Referrals may be made by any organisation with a support relationship with the referred individual. This includes housing associations, charities, NHS services, local authority teams, and similar bodies.

2.2 Individuals may not self-refer under this programme. The standard Donate-IT waiting list exists for individual applications and is available at donate-it.inclusivebytes.org/request.

2.3 Referring organisations must be able to confirm that the individual meets the eligibility criteria in Section 3.

2.4 By submitting a referral, the referring organisation confirms that the recipient has consented to their personal details being shared with Inclusive Bytes CIC for the purpose of device allocation and programme delivery.

2.5 Where the referral is on behalf of a child or young person under 18, the referring organisation confirms that the parent or guardian has given consent for the child’s details to be shared, and that the named responsible person is the child’s parent or guardian.

2.6 Inclusive Bytes actively encourages all residents to seek an organisational referral before self-referring, not only because it provides queue priority but because connection to a support organisation increases the likelihood of sustained digital inclusion. The referral programme exists to strengthen that connection, not to replace it.

3. Eligibility
3.1 The referred individual must:

Be a current resident, client, or service user of the referring organisation
Not currently own a working device suitable for their needs
Not have received a device through this programme in the previous 12 months
3.2 Referrals for children and young people under 18 must be made via a parent or guardian, who becomes the named responsible person for the referral. The parent or guardian does not need to be a service user of the referring organisation, but the child must be.

3.3 A parent or guardian may hold their own separate referral in addition to any referrals made on behalf of dependent children. Each is treated as an independent referral.

4. Named Recipients
4.1 Every referral must name a specific individual as the recipient. Referrals may not be submitted without a named recipient.

4.2 A parent or guardian submitting on behalf of a dependent child must name that child on the referral form. The child is the recipient; the parent or guardian is the named responsible person.

4.3 The named recipient is the person against whom the 12-month limit applies. A parent or guardian submitting referrals on behalf of multiple dependent children must name each child separately. Each is a separate referral at the standard fee.

4.4 Referrals may not be submitted for unnamed, placeholder, or future recipients. The named recipient must be known and confirmed at the time of submission.

5. Referral Fee
5.1 The referral fee is £50 per named recipient, per device.

5.2 The fee covers prioritised queue placement and a supported handover. It does not constitute payment for the device.

5.3 Each referral covers one named individual and one device. Households with multiple eligible members may submit multiple referrals, each at £50, provided each referral names a distinct recipient.

5.4 Payment is required before the referral is queued. Referrals will not be allocated priority until payment is confirmed.

5.5 The referral fee is non-refundable once the device has been allocated and the handover appointment scheduled.

5.6 If Inclusive Bytes is unable to fulfil the referral within 90 days, the referring organisation may request a full refund or carry the credit forward.

6. Safeguarding
6.1 All referrals involving children or young people under 18 are subject to the Inclusive Bytes Safeguarding Policy.

6.2 The referring organisation is responsible for obtaining and confirming parental or guardian consent before submitting a referral on behalf of a child.

6.3 Inclusive Bytes reserves the right to request evidence of the parent or guardian relationship before processing a referral involving a child.

6.4 Personal data relating to children will be handled in accordance with the Inclusive Bytes Data Protection Policy and will not be shared beyond what is necessary for programme delivery.

7. Process
7.1 The referring organisation submits a request on behalf of the recipient using the standard Donate-IT request form at donate-it.inclusivebytes.org/request — the referring organisation’s details and the recipient’s full name must both be completed on the form.

7.2 Inclusive Bytes will contact the referring organisation to confirm acceptance and arrange payment of the £50 referral fee.

7.3 Once payment is confirmed, the referral is placed in the priority queue.

7.4 The recipient (or their parent or guardian) will be contacted to arrange a handover appointment.

7.5 At handover, the recipient receives the device, basic setup support, and signposting to further digital skills sessions where appropriate.

7.6 The referring organisation receives written confirmation of the completed handover for their records.

8. Limits and Restrictions
8.1 One device per named recipient per 12-month period.

8.2 Devices are allocated based on assessed need and available stock. Inclusive Bytes does not guarantee a specific device type or specification. Where a recipient has particular accessibility needs, these should be noted on the referral form and will be accommodated where possible.

8.3 Referring organisations may not stockpile referral credits or transfer credits between recipients without Director approval.

8.4 Inclusive Bytes reserves the right to decline a referral where eligibility cannot be confirmed or where the referral appears to conflict with the intent of the programme.

8.5 No more than 33% of devices allocated in any calendar month may be fulfilled via the referral programme and internal sales combined (including volunteer purchases under the Purchase of Donated Items Policy). Where referral demand exceeds available headroom, referrals will be queued and fulfilled in the following month. This limit ensures the standard waiting list continues to be served as the primary route for community device access.

8.6 Devices are refurbished and redistributed in good faith. Inclusive Bytes does not provide a warranty but will make reasonable efforts to replace or repair a device that fails within 30 days of handover, subject to stock availability. Recipients are encouraged to report faults promptly. This does not affect any statutory rights that may apply.

9. Recording and Reporting
9.1 All referrals are logged and retained in line with the Inclusive Bytes Data Protection Policy.

9.2 Referring organisations will receive a completion summary for each referral, suitable for use in their own reporting and social value measurement.

9.3 Aggregate programme data (number of referrals, devices allocated, areas served) will be published in Inclusive Bytes’ annual impact report.

10. How to Refer
10.1 Referring organisations submit requests on behalf of recipients using the standard Donate-IT request form at donate-it.inclusivebytes.org/request.

10.2 The referring organisation’s details and the recipient’s details must both be completed on the form.

10.3 Inclusive Bytes will contact the referring organisation to confirm acceptance and arrange payment of the referral fee before the referral is queued.

11. Contact Details
Donate-IT programme enquiries: contact Inclusive Bytes CIC via the main organisational contact details.