Inclusive Founders Programme

What The Programme Offers

Approved partners get one of our Total Security packages, including unlimited support with no overage charges, at 40% off for the first 12 months. Support is genuinely unlimited under the package’s fair use policy, not capped with hourly billing kicking in once you go over.

Everything else, hardware, software licensing, project work, works exactly as it does for any other AOIT Networks partner, at our standard rates.

Full Inclusive Founders Programme Terms apply.

Who Can Apply

Your business must be at least 50% owned by one or more people from an under-represented group:

  • people of colour and people from other under-represented ethnic backgrounds
  • women, trans and non-binary people
  • disabled people
  • LGBTQ+ people

As a guideline, not a hard rule, we’re looking at businesses trading for 3 years or less, with fewer than 15 staff and turnover under £500,000. If that doesn’t describe your business, apply anyway. Every application is reviewed individually. Any business type can apply, and this programme is currently open to UK-based businesses only.

How It Works

  1. Apply below. Tell us about your business and confirm you meet the eligibility criteria. We never ask which group you belong to, and never ask for proof of ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
  2. We review your application. For limited companies, we check Companies House. For sole traders and partnerships, we may ask for one piece of trading evidence by email, deleted once we’ve made a decision.
  3. We aim to reply within 10 working days, and let you know if a place is available this year.
  4. We get you set up on your chosen package with unlimited support included, at 40% off for 12 months.

Why We’re Doing This

Starting a business is hard for anyone. It’s harder again when access to finance, networks, or straightforward advice isn’t equally available to everyone starting out. This programme is our way of removing one barrier, the cost of reliable IT support, for a small number of under-represented founders each year. It is part of our wider commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our hosting brand, aoitcloud, runs a parallel Inclusive Founders Programme offering discounted web hosting. If you need both hosting and managed IT support, you can apply for both.

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

We don't offer free support. A discounted price still means there's a proper agreement in place with both sides committed, and your account works exactly like any other partner's from day one, not a stripped-back version.

Genuinely unlimited, under our standard fair use policy. Unlike our normal packages, where user-raised support tickets are billed separately once your included allowance is used, this programme includes our AYCE (All You Can Eat) Unlimited Support add-on as standard, discounted along with the rest of the package. No separate ticket charges during your 12-month term.

Around 60 days before your 12-month term ends, in line with our standard renewal process, we'll be in touch to see how things are going and discuss next steps. Your package then continues at the standard rate unless we agree otherwise.

You don't. We only ask you to confirm, via a single checkbox, that your business is at least 50% owned by one or more people from an under-represented group. We never ask which group, and never ask for proof.

Yes. Those figures are guidelines, not hard requirements, and every application is reviewed individually.

Up to 5 a year, allocated after individual review rather than strictly first come, first served. Unused places don't roll over.

For limited companies, none, we check Companies House ourselves. For sole traders and partnerships, we may ask by email for one piece of trading evidence, such as an HMRC Self Assessment registration letter, the top of a business bank statement, or a recent invoice. It's deleted once we've made a decision.

Not currently. This programme is open to UK-based businesses only.

No, the discount can't be combined with any other offer or code, isn't transferable to another business, and has no cash alternative. The one exception is our hosting brand aoitcloud's Inclusive Founders offer, which is part of the same programme: you can apply for both, and each is reviewed separately.

No. All AOIT Networks services remain open to every business on the same standard terms. This programme is extra support for a limited number of partners each year, not a restriction on anyone else.