Issued by: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Free support to get people online is rolling out in communities in every region of the country.

• 80 innovative digital skills and support schemes receive government funding to help most vulnerable in communities get online with confidence

• People in every region of the country will benefit, from disadvantaged young people to elderly people and the homeless, through expanded fund as part of the government’s push to close the digital divide

• Community-led initiatives to get people the skills and access to devices they need – delivering national renewal by boosting employment opportunities, saving people money, improving health and making life easier

Free support to get people online is rolling out in communities in every region of the country, so they can book a doctor’s appointment on the NHS app, shop around for better deals on things such as home insurance and food, or stay in touch with loved ones.

Today (Wednesday 10 December), Minister for Digital Inclusion, Liz Lloyd is unveiling 80 local schemes receiving backing from the first-of-its-kind £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund [https://tinyurl.com/prpdjmys].

From Leeds to London, Bristol to Nottingham this fund will support projects in communities across the UK, helping people at risk of being left behind get the access, skills and confidence they need to get online, improve their living standards and deliver national renewal.

Research suggests there are currently 8 million adults in the UK who lack basic digital skills1 and 1.6 million who live offline altogether2. This prevents them from accessing convenient digital government services online, managing their finances on their phone, or searching for job opportunities.

These people are locked out from some of the most basic opportunities that modern life offers, whether that’s mastering the essential digital skills for work – like setting up an email account and sharing files – or facing higher costs for things like home insurance, train travel and food – with people without internet access paying on average 25% more than consumers who are online3.

These new innovative schemes, tailored to suit the needs of local people, will change that. Disadvantaged young people across the North and Midlands will use e-sports to learn new digital skills and develop safe online behaviours; over 7,000 older people will learn how to use the NHS app to manage their health; and people experiencing homelessness will be able to access devices and data to get online to help them find accommodation and other essentials.

The success of these projects will help inform future initiatives to help get more people online and open up doors for them to make the most of the opportunities technology can bring – boosting employment, improving health and making life more convenient.

Minister for Digital Inclusion, Liz Lloyd said:

"This government is tearing down the barriers to success and making the future work for all, not just the fortunate.

"Being online is something many of us take for granted, but for millions it could mean a new job opportunity, quicker access to healthcare or a lifeline to the local community.

"This fund will both empower community organisations to help those most at risk of being left behind get the skills, access and confidence they need - while also informing how we can help even more people in the future."

Some of the projects funded

The Bromley by Bow Centre’s Connected Lives project, visited by the Minister this week. This will support residents who attend the Centre’s Welcome Hub programmes, like its community food pantry, by providing digital skills training and devices to use for practical life tasks like managing benefits and paying bills online.

A project run by Age UK will help thousands of older people through events and skills sessions, to learn how to use the NHS app to manage health matters. Helping improve their physical and digital health at the same time.

Sheffield United’s Community Foundation will trial using e-sports video gaming to help 400 young people build digital skills and confidence, and raise awareness on being safe online. The Safe to Play project will adapt e-sports as a vehicle for digital inclusion in their existing Football Club charities youth programmes. Each club will deliver a 6–8 week programme of weekly workshops and esports play sessions, combining practical digital learning for young people, within a fun, safe and trusted environment.

The University of Bristol’s Future IDEAS project will bring together digitally excluded members of the community, and digital design experts to co-create a chat bot that will be used to facilitate digital skills and confidence building for the public. The co-creation will ensure the chatbot is built to understand the needs and capabilities of the people it’s being built to support. The chatbot will then be trialled in a rollout in community hubs alongside trained digital champions to measure its success.

The fund is being directed at community organisations as the best placed to determine how to support the needs of their communities. Each organisation will report back on their project, with the findings used to work out what works best when it comes to helping people to get online, and using this to shape digital inclusion initiatives across the country in the future.

Portions of the fund have been allocated to the devolved governments in:

• Scotland (£764,020)

• Wales (£400,368)

• Northern Ireland (£267,249)

to ensure this is a UK-wide digital inclusion drive.

The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is a key part of government’s drive to ensuring everyone has the digital skills needed to use technology to make life better and more convenient, and to access the jobs of the future. The Fund is one of government’s first 5 actions committed in this year’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan [https://tinyurl.com/3rv3deuz].

This fund will underpin the focused approach to society-wide skills development and access being implemented by Secretary of State for Technology, Liz Kendall. This includes the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s work with industry and civil society to get 7.5 million UK workers essential AI skills by 2030. DSIT is also preparing to launch government’s hallmark £187 million TechFirst skills programme [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/techfirst] in 2026, which will reach 1 million school students in classrooms across the UK, and develop the essential tech skills needed for our future workforce.

Elly De Decker, CEO of Bromley by Bow Centre:

"Technology is ever-present in all aspects of our lives. Too many people, for a variety of reasons, are not able to engage with the growing influence of this technology, leading to more exclusion and inequality.

"The reality in our community is that many people do not have the skills and access to the right tools to engage in the digital economy with confidence. We see this every day and we are working alongside local residents to help them improve their skills and confidence in practical and meaningful ways. This funding is absolutely crucial to reducing the digital divide."

Paul Farmer, CEO, Age UK, Mehfuz Ahmed, CEO, Age UK Westminster and Mary-Ann Foxwell, CEO, Age UK East London said:

"While many older people embrace the digital world, too many remain locked out of essential services. Age UK, Age UK East London and Age UK Westminster, welcome the government’s recognition of older people’s needs through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.

"This vital support enables us to build on proven work in local communities: breaking down barriers, and empowering older people to use digital services confidently - improving health outcomes and fostering healthier, more connected, and independent lives."

Debbie Cook, Director of Community at the English Football League (EFL) said:

"The Safe to Play campaign is an exciting and innovative way to support young people in our EFL Club communities. Using esports as a vehicle for digital inclusion, online safety, and wellbeing, we’re equipping disadvantaged young people with essential skills for the modern world.

"The project, that will run in 10 Football Club communities, led by Sheffield United’s Community Foundation, will provide a safe, engaging environment for around 400 participants and empower trained facilitators to deliver guidance informed by the British Esports Federation ‘Duty to Care in Esports’ framework. This project is about creating opportunities, building confidence, and ensuring every young person feels supported online and offline."

Councillor Liam Robinson, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Innovation, said:

"Digital inclusion isn’t just about providing access to technology – it’s about empowering people with the tools to change their lives.

"Through our Digital Inclusion Initiative, over 5,500 residents can now connect to jobs, education, healthcare, and stay in touch with loved ones. It’s already having a real impact across our communities and proved to government that we know how to tackle digital exclusion.

"I’m proud that, working with our partners, and thanks to the government’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, we’re now able to build on that success to get even more people online. And this is only the start. We’re committed to closing the digital divide and creating a future where no one is left behind."

Helen Milner OBE, CEO of Good Things Foundation said:

"The funding from DSIT is a welcome and vital step that places digital inclusion firmly on the national agenda, demonstrating the government’s commitment to addressing exclusion. Support through the Fund is enabling Good Things Foundation to work alongside our trusted community partners to capture the real life barriers that people face.

"Our evidence-led work with councils will create a blueprint that any local authority can use. We must ‘bake in, not bolt on’ digital inclusion to ensure everyone can participate in our digital society."

Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity, Essex County Council said:

"We’re thrilled that Essex has been recognised nationally for its commitment to digital inclusion. Securing this funding is a fantastic achievement and will allow us to make a real difference in the lives of those groups who can sometimes be left behind in today’s digital world.

"By focusing on older adults, young people who are not in education or employment, and individuals with disabilities, we’re helping improve their computer skills and access exciting new opportunities, whether that is gaining employment, learning new skills or better connecting with their local community."

Rachel Kelly, Chief Executive of Women’s Health Matters said:

"At Women’s Health Matters in Leeds, we are delighted that this funding for our DigitALL Women project will help women build confidence and skills to use technology safely and independently.

"Sitting alongside our support work for victim-survivors of Domestic Abuse, women whose children live in the care of others, and women seeking asylum, the project will provide support to help get women online, stay safe, provide suitable hardware, and make the most of digital tools in everyday life."

Andrew Morter, Chief Executive of Vision Norfolk said:

"We’re delighted to receive support from the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund for this vital project. For people with sight loss, digital technology can be truly life-changing – and is as important today as braille was 100 years ago – opening up access to information, services, and social connection – but only if they have the right support to use it safely and confidently.

"This funding will enable us to recruit and train volunteers who can provide that crucial one-to-one support to help our clients navigate the digital world independently.”

Andria Birch MBE, Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Services CEO said:

"We are absolutely delighted to be leading the Tackling Technology Together partnership project. It is built on years of learning and partnership work with local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and our NHS and wider public sector colleagues and will enable us to deliver local solutions to local problems for those in greatest need."

Notes to editors

See the full list of Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund projects here: [https://tinyurl.com/pkx4zx9y]

Sources

1. This statistic was sourced from the Essential Digital Skills 2025 [https://tinyurl.com/2hcyeprb]. The term ‘basic digital skills’ refers to the ‘Foundation Level of digital skills’

2. Lloyds Consumer Digital Index 2024: [https://tinyurl.com/4smv9k3w]

3. How to tackle digital exclusion and reduce the poverty premium: [https://tinyurl.com/y6ch5p8a]

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