TechLocal
Details of the TechLocal grant funding programme to boost digital skills and jobs.
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Details
TechLocal is part of the government鈥檚聽TechFirst聽initiative to improve skills across the UK鈥檚 digital sectors and help grow the economy. TechLocal funds local partnerships that help people develop the skills needed for jobs in聽fast-growing聽technology聽sectors, and聽supports employers to find the talent they need.听
TechLocal was launched on 28 January 2026 as part of the government鈥檚 announcement on improving AI skills.
The programme focuses on聽frontier technologies听颈苍肠濒耻诲颈苍驳:听
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Cyber security
- Quantum computing
- Engineering biology
- Semiconductors
- Advanced connectivity technologies.听聽
TechLocal has聽2 separate grant funding聽competitions, each with different aims,聽eligibility聽and requirements.听
TechLocal: Connecting local talent to local tech jobs
Aim
To support at least聽1,000 people聽into tech jobs across the UK by funding projects that connect skilled individuals with local employment opportunities - particularly in SMEs.听
Projects must focus on helping people move into聽entry-level tech roles聽(minimum 25 hours per week for at least 6 months).听
What the funding supports
Projects that:聽
- Help newly trained individuals, career changers or returners move into tech jobs聽
- Support SMEs and local employers to recruit and聽retain聽tech talent聽
- Offer activities such as work placements, apprenticeships,聽mentoring聽or聽employer-led聽onboarding
- Address local skills gaps and contribute to local economic strengths聽聽
Funding available聽
- Total fund:聽up to 拢7.6 million聽
- Grant size per project:聽拢100,000 - 拢225,000
Find out more at an online briefing
For more information on this local jobs strand of TechLocal, join the online briefing event for applications at 11:30 on Tuesday 10 February 2026:
Briefing slides will be available to download from the 鈥楽upporting Information鈥� link after the event.
TechLocal: AI Professional Degree and Traineeship Accelerator聽
础颈尘听
To develop聽AI聽focused聽professional practice degree courses, graduate traineeships and work experience opportunities that provide industry聽ready AI skills, aligned to local and strategic demand.听
What the funding supports聽
Projects that deliver:聽
- New or updated聽Level 6 or Level 7 AI courses聽with integrated聽work-based聽learning聽
- Graduate traineeships with industry mentorship聽
- Internships, work聽placements聽or co-operative聽education聽opportunities with local employers聽
- Strong partnerships between educators and employers聽聽
Funding available聽
- Total fund:聽up to 拢7.8 million聽over 4 years聽
- Grant size per project:聽拢100,000 - 拢300,000聽
Find out more at an online briefing
For more information on this AI strand of TechLocal, join the online briefing event for applications at 14:00 on Tuesday 10 February 2026:
Briefing slides will be available to download from the 鈥楽upporting Information鈥� link after the event.
Tech Local programme important dates
These dates apply to both the programmes described above.
- Publication date:聽28 January 2026聽
- Applications open:聽4 February 2026聽
- Applicant briefing sessions: 10 February 2026 (see above)
- Applications close:聽18 March 2026 (11am UK time)聽
- Applicants notified:聽27 April 2026聽
- Earliest project start date:聽1 July 2026聽聽
How to apply聽
Applications for both strands must be聽submitted聽through the聽Innovation Funding Service (IFS). Full guidance on scope, eligibility and assessment criteria is provided within the service.听
Apply for the local tech jobs grant scheme
Apply for the AI degrees and traineeship grant scheme
About TechFirst
TechLocal is part of TechFirst, the government鈥檚 flagship 拢187 million tech skills programme, designed to open pathways into the聽fast-growing聽tech sector for people of all ages and backgrounds. It builds on the success of聽CyberFirst聽and aims to reach聽one million聽young people while supporting聽over 4,000聽graduates,聽researchers聽and innovators across the UK.听
TechFirst聽is made up of聽4 strands, each supporting people at聽different stages聽of the tech talent pipeline:聽
- TechYouth聽鈥� for young people aged 11 to 18, offering opportunities to develop tech and AI skills and explore future careers.听
- TechGrad聽鈥� providing scholarships and support for university students studying key technology subjects.听
- TechExpert聽鈥� funding and industry engagement for doctoral researchers in AI, cyber, quantum,聽semiconductors聽and other frontier tech fields.
- TechLocal聽鈥� regional funding competitions that help connect skilled people to tech jobs and create new AI degrees and graduate traineeships聽 .
For more information, visit the TechFirst page.