Problem addressed

Resource-constrained communities in both the developed and developing world are facing a so-called ‘digital gap’; a new form of social inequality derived from unequal access to new information and communications technologies (ICT). Insufficient financial resources to be able to afford ICT, or a lack of digital skills to be able to use ICT equipment, hamper the capacity of these communities to connect to the wider world. This, in turn, limits their access to information and resources that are crucial for development in today’s digitalised society.

Innovative solution

Close the Gap addresses the infrastructure and knowledge gaps that limit access to ICT in resource-constrained communities. Close the Gap was founded in Belgium in 2003. It repurposes companies’ unused ICT equipment, which would normally have been thrown away, and instead provides it at a low cost to resource-constrained communities in Belgium and developing countries, through a network of local partners. The equipment is collected from companies, refurbished, and offered to educational or social projects in these communities, alongside training courses on how to use and maintain it.

Close the Gap collects the hardware and works with professional refurbishment partners that remove all information from the computers and install a new operating system. The organisations that wish to buy equipment must apply and demonstrate that they have the necessary basic infrastructure in place to install it. Equipment is sent to developing countries by air or ship. Local service partners work as intermediaries between Close the Gap and beneficiary organisations. They know and understand the local culture and challenges, and are responsible for preparation of the infrastructure, distribution and transport of the computers to the beneficiaries, installation and maintenance of the ICT equipment, as well as for training of the users.

Many companies and institutions donate in-kind or financially to Close the Gap. Other revenue sources include contributions from beneficiary projects, the sale of high-end ICT material that is not in demand in developing countries, in-kind support from partners, as well as financial donations. All this resulted in a profit generation of EUR 207 million in 2017.

Close the Gap also organises the LEAP2 Innovation Challenge to support African tech entrepreneurs. This bi-annual competition challenges young African entrepreneurs to come up with innovative digital projects that address societal challenges. Supported by coaches from Close the Gap, participants develop and improve their idea into a workable project, start their own crowdfunding campaign and then pitch to impact investors. Close the Gap is currently setting up an incubator in the Kenya coastal area to intensify this work and increase the sustainability of the initiative in the area.

Close the Gap started with developing countries as a target group, but has been growing within Belgium too. It now also provides equipment to ICT courses targeting disadvantaged groups in the country. This includes BeCode – a free, intensive 6-month coding school programme that teaches web and mobile development to increase trainees’ employability. Together with DNS Belgium, they founded ‘Digital for Youth’, a youth organisation that collected 11 000 computers during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic for Belgian students without a computer at home. Moreover, in cooperation with Umicore (a materials technology and recycling group) and Recupel (an non-profit organisation specialised in e-waste management), Close the Gap has created a spin-off called WorldLoop, which aims to create a network of e-waste recycling facilities in developing countries.

Key results and benefits

Since 2003, Close the Gap has collected over 1 million pieces of equipment, reached more than 3 million beneficiaries and supported approximately 6 000 projects and organisations in 50 countries. At the same time, it has collected and processed 2 500 tonnes of e-waste and enabled more than 300 tonnes of hazardous waste to be spared from landfills.

In Belgium, thanks to the provision of equipment for BeCode, 329 people have been trained, 85% of which have found a job, created their own start-up, or started an advanced training course.

Potential for mainstreaming

Close the Gap now benefits from a network of more than 300 partners and donors. Having such a strong network of partners at local, national and international level would be a key condition for successful transfer of the project to another context.  Thanks to an agreement with Microsoft, the Windows software license is almost free, if the computers are used for non-commercial projects.

The project has plans for further scaling up through the Digital 4 Development platform, which aims to build a bridge between the Belgian private sector and the development sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. About 500 companies and not-for-profit Belgian organisations have joined the platform, which includes a database of development initiatives already in place. The goal is to create partnerships related to tech/digital between non-profit actors and private sector companies, to increase the impact of the non-profit organisations while creating business opportunities for the private sector companies. In the future, Close the Gap hopes to expand the platform at the European level, by involving companies and development initiatives from other Member States.

The organisation has been recognised as a United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) signatory and is a member of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI).