TechLocal: Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will work with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to invest up to £7.6 million in innovation projects for collaborative projects to resolve the barriers for tech talent across the UK to access entry level roles in frontier technology sectors. This competition is part of the TechFirst programme. The aim is to develop impactful local initiatives that enable tech talent to secure entry level tech jobs by bridging the gap between training and employment. Projects must be delivered and demonstrate impact in one or more specified geographic areas across the UK, addressing a local need or leveraging a local strength, and demonstrate clear impact in one or more of six frontier technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Engineering Biology, Semiconductors, Advanced Connectivity Technologies, and Quantum) by enabling local talent into entry level tech jobs and helping SMEs adopt these technologies through skilled workforces. The competition prioritizes applications that support women into the tech workforce and targets the overall TechLocal goal of creating 1,000 new tech jobs.