Communities across the UK are going to benefit from new jobs, inclusive innovation, and stronger local economies, as 14 regionally focused tech initiatives are launched under the government’s £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has officially revealed a series of community-led tech support projects designed to help founders, startups, and scale-ups thrive beyond London. These initiatives will foster a stronger local tech ecosystem by providing business training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to investment.
Supporting growth
The Regional Tech Booster programme is part of a broader push to decentralise the UK’s tech economy, ensuring regions across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland can participate in and benefit from the growth of the tech sector.
Each selected project has been designed to tackle specific regional challenges and opportunities. From AI innovation in Wales to advanced connectivity in Suffolk and startup support in the West Midlands, the projects are tailored to local needs while sharing a common goal: building inclusive, high-impact ecosystems that support entrepreneurship and job creation.
Personalised projects for local impact
In Wales, Tramshed Tech’s AI initiative will help local businesses and entrepreneurs harness AI tools through intensive workshops and venture-building challenges.
Scotland will see two significant projects: ScotlandIS is launching a programme to connect rural tech founders with national networks. At the same time, Game Space will offer bespoke support to early-stage gaming startups.
In Northern Ireland, AwakenHub is focusing on boosting AI adoption among underrepresented founders, especially in rural and minority communities.
Across England, a wide range of pilots are getting underway:
- In the East Midlands, Allia Impact is rolling out a comprehensive “tech for good” pipeline to help startups grow from idea to scale-up stage.
- The East of England will benefit from Tech East’s ACT Catalyst, which promotes awareness and uptake of advanced technologies, including 5G, AI, and quantum communications.
- In the South West, Digital Plymouth is aiming to close early-stage support gaps through a pre-accelerator programme targeting student and grassroots founders.
- The South East is launching a scale-up growth partnership in Brighton and Sussex to accelerate ventures across creative, health and deep tech sectors.
- The North West will see two projects: a high-performance computing hub in Blackpool, called “Silicon Sands,” and an FE-led innovation initiative in Lancashire that encourages entrepreneurship among college students.
- Yorkshire and the Humber is focusing on both ends of the growth journey: Leeds Digital supports peer learning for early-stage startups. At the same time, Sheffield Digital helps plateaued companies overcome growth barriers.
- In the North East, the Founder Commons pilot is building a founder-led support network to help startups access global scaling knowledge and expertise.
- Finally, the West Midlands is supporting immigrant and first-generation founders in scaling their businesses through a new pilot tailored to their unique challenges.
The Regional Tech Booster programme also includes ecosystem-building workshops and investment events under the newly launched National Investment Corridors initiative. The first two investment events are planned for Bristol and Leeds, connecting local talent with national and international investors.
The government is partnering with the UK Tech Cluster Group to deliver the programme, ensuring local expertise guides delivery and best practices are shared across the country.
A push for diversity and innovation
A key emphasis of the Regional Tech Booster programme is creating inclusivity. Several projects have a specific focus on supporting underrepresented founders, ensuring the benefits of tech growth reach communities traditionally left out of the innovation economy.
