FundingApplications SantanderChangemaker2018

@johnmckerrell filled in this application as suggested by Crowdfunder with the following information:

Tell us briefly about your organisation (50 words max)

DoES Liverpool is a makerspace and coworking community in Liverpool set up in 2011 to provide a home for makers, small businesses and freelancers. We offer affordable, and free, access to workshop equipment, office space and high speed internet to allow interesting and innovative individuals and businesses to flourish.

## Project Name

DoES Liverpool move home!

## Project Description (140 characters)

DoES Liverpool is moving to a new home. We have ensured we can afford a basic fit-out but we need help to make the most inspiring of spaces.

Project Target

£7000 (includes a stretch goal)

This means you will be applying for:

£3500

Select which of the below best represents the primary objective of your project? *

Building business or commercial skills

What is the primary sector in which your organisation works? *

Technology / Digital

Tell us a bit about your project and how it benefits disadvantaged people in the UK:

DoES Liverpool benefits disadvantaged people through helping Merseyside residents on a low income to start up businesses and get involved in the maker community. We do this through always making sure that income is no barrier to full participation. For example we run a weekly Maker Night and monthly Maker Day giving free access to our workshop, allowing people to gain training and experience with all equipment including laser cutters, 3D printers and more. These events also provide opportunities to speak to people with years of experience in all kinds of practical and digital skills. We also work with Jelly Liverpool to provide a free day of access to our office space each month, and have the unique "First Day Free if you bring Cake (or snacks to share)" offering to make sure that anyone can try the space without having to pay anything.

To ensure we can continue to offer free access we do charge for most of our services to those who can afford it but we always aim to keep our prices as low as possible. We have been operating this business model since July 2011 with considerable success and intend to continue and grow, for which we have taken out a 5 year lease on our new, larger, premises.

We provide an events room that can be used at no cost by people running events that are free for the public to attend. These events allow the members of the community to grow insight and knowledge, have been key in growing our community and increasing cohesion and familiarity within the community. We have hosted groups as diverse as the Merseyside Cycle Forum, Internet of Things Liverpool Meetup, Friends of the Earth, meet ups around software programming languages, and people interested in wearable technologies amongst others.

The project to move to our new home has given us a blank slate to create a space that is ideal for us, laid out just how we need. It has given us a much larger events room and a larger additional meeting room which will widen the community we can support and allow us to host more events both free and paid-for. It has allowed us to expand our workshop area which will also greatly increase the accessibility of our space and our equipment for people with limited mobility.

Regarding accessibility of the space, looking for a new venue has allowed us to focus on accessibility throughout the process. Working with the landlord in our new venue has allowed us to push through suggestions such as installing a lift, step free access into the building and multiple accessible toilet facilities. As mentioned we are striving to make sure that as many of our services as possible can be accessible to as many people as possible.

How many people

0-49

## What will you spend the funding on?

• Projector, ideally 4K and HDMI to future proof - £1500
• Flooring for events room - £1100
• Blinds for events room - £1150
• Networking hardware and fit-out - £1500
• Installing walls in space - £8900
• Flooring for main space and kitchen - £1400
• Van hire - £400
• Electrical fit-out - £3140
• Flooring for office space - £1200

## Anything else..?

We strive to run a sustainable business model so we generally don't look to outside sources to cover running costs, and we have managed to fund a lot of this project using our existing profits but to make the most of the space we're moving into and make sure we can generate as much income to support our future projects we need to raise additional funds.

When filling in the "What will you spend the funding received on?" I wasn't sure if I should cover the entire project estimates or just what we would spend the additional funding being applied for here. I have covered closer to the entire costs of the project but can review this if necessary. We are funding the entire project using approximately £10,000 that we had saved initially together with £7000 that we are looking for on crowdfunder (£5000 initially and a £2000 stretch).

If we get the additional funding from Santander it will allow us to afford to do more and create a better space. The specific things that this additional funding will allow for are a new more modern projector than the one we currently use, and improved flooring and black-out blinds in our events room allowing a more accessible and pleasant environment. The flooring in the room is old wooden boards which may constitute a trip hazard and be unsafe for children or people with limited mobility, so would greatly benefit from improvement. The room is also very bright during the daytime so having blinds will allow us to extend the hours that the room can be used.