Switch to
GOV.UK
We've established the Parish Online GOV.UK Switching Fund to help Local Councils make the transition to a GOV.UK domain
Funded through our Community Interest Company
Wider reach than the CDDO Domain Helper Service
No limit set on the number of councils that can apply
Continuing the fantastic work of the CDDO
The funding that came with this service was finite and in January 2025 it ran out. This was a fantastic achievement as it saw 1,000 councils make the switch to GOV.UK, giving them a more professional online presence, better security and the opportunity to switch to better services provided by Approved Registrars.
Parish Online helped a large number of parishes use that fund and we saw the energy and enthusiasm that it brought. So, we've decided to carry on that scheme but self-funding it through our not-for-profit Community Interest Company reserves.
Any town, parish or community council in England, Wales or Scotland who want to start using a GOV.UK domain can sign up to one of our services and receive £100 ex vat credit on their first year's subscription invoice. It's as simple as that!
This is an inportant scheme as we believe that local councils should look and operate like a form of Government (because they are!), but often the use of org.uk domains and personal email services (like gmail, yahoo, btinternet etc) don't portray councils in the best light. So having an accessible and compliant website on a gov.uk domain, and emails using the domain is incredibly important for the outward appearance of councils.
Parish Online is the only supplier to mandate the use of GOV.UK domain names, which is why we cover the cost of the domain in our subscription. This gives us three ways to save you money:
- We underwrite the cost of the GOV.UK domain registration and maintenance
- We provide regional ongoing discounts with County Associations
- We provide this new fund to make the first year subscription cheaper.
We'd like to thank Khidr, Tim, Sandra, Will and the rest of the CDDO Domain Helper Service for their hard work and dedication over the last 2 years to get the sector to this point. Their vision to help this tier of Government improve their online competency is greatly appreciated, and will help councils way into the future.
How to apply for the fund
We've made this as simple as can be. All you need to do is get a quote for one of our services, and upon order the fund will automatically get applied to your first year subscription invoice.
A qualifying council means any town, parish or community council in England, Wales or Scotland who, at the point of order, does not have a registered GOV.UK domain name in use. The fund does not apply if a council already has a GOV.UK domain name, except if it is unused and dormant.