Open call for evidence

Building a future tech sector that works for everyone

Published 12 March 2026

1. Introduction

In December 2025, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology , Liz Kendall, launched the Women in Tech Taskforce (the “Taskforce”). 

The Taskforce is working to address the systemic barriers that prevent women from entering, progressing, and leading in the tech sector. This work is increasingly urgent as the wider context of the sector is changing rapidly: new and emerging technologies are reshaping the economy, transforming how, where, and on what we work.

Ensuring that everyone can participate in this evolving landscape is essential for delivering better, more inclusive services. When more people can contribute to and benefit from technological change, businesses gain access to a broader talent pool, improved productivity, and greater innovation - driving economic benefits across the UK.

However, structural barriers continue to limit who can enter, stay, and succeed in the tech industry. These challenges have created an uneven playing field and a sector that does not yet reflect the diversity of the UK:

• only 9% of people from disadvantaged backgrounds break into tech, compared to 29% for finance or 23% for law
• 29% of UK tech employees, and only 21% of senior tech role holders, are women or non-binary
• while 25% of employees are from ethnic minorities (vs 19% nationally), representation drops to just 14% in senior roles
• 6% of tech employees are disabled relative to 23% of the UK working population, with 63% facing qualification barriers
• older professionals (50+) make up 31% of the working-age population but only 20% of the tech workforce

As these technologies such as AI, quantum, and engineering biology are still being built, the decisions made now about who participates in shaping them will influence the future of the tech sector, and society, for years to come.

Without deliberate action, existing inequalities risk being replicated or further entrenched in these emerging fields.

2. Call for evidence

This call for evidence seeks the insights into the interventions needed to help build a tech sector that works for everyone – within the wider context of rapid sectoral changes driven by emerging technologies.

We are interested in evidence from schemes or initiatives that respondents have experienced or implemented which have supported greater participation, progression, or leadership of women and other under represented groups in tech. Understanding how these initiatives were designed, scoped, and delivered will help us identify what works, and what needs to change, as the sector evolves.

We recognise that there is an existing wide range of programmes aimed at improving representation of diverse groups across tech. We welcome views and evidence on these schemes so that government and industry can draw from a broad base of learning to design systemic, practical, impactful interventions that support diversity while remaining proportionate and avoiding unnecessary burdens on organisations.

The following areas will help us examine the relationship between emerging technologies, current barriers, and the interventions most likely to drive change:

• Women into tech – pipeline

Understanding where and how emerging technologies are reshaping entry pathways, early‑career opportunities, and the factors- educational, organisational, financial that support or hinder women and under‑represented groups entering the sector.

• Women staying in tech – retention and progression

Identifying the organisational, cultural, and skills development conditions that influence retention, including how emerging technologies affect roles and examining which interventions most effectively support long term career development and advancement, and where targeted action in the talent pipeline can best improve progression for women and under‑represented groups.

• Future proofing the sector

As a secondary area, assessing whether existing and proposed schemes aimed at broadening access to tech careers remain relevant and effective in the context of a changing landscape.

3. Definitions

Throughout this call for evidence, we use the following terms which are defined as per the below.

Term	Definition
Emerging technology	New, fast developing and transformative technologies - such as AI, quantum, engineering biology, future telecoms, and advanced materials - that are not yet mature but are expected to have significant future impact on the UK’s economy, security, infrastructure, and society, developing and transformative technologies
Entry pathways	The routes, mechanisms, and access points through which individuals begin a career in the technology sector. These pathways include the skills, qualifications, training opportunities, and support systems that enable people to enter the sector.
Early career	The first 2-5 years of an individuals professional career.
Mid career	A stage where individuals typically hold roles with increased responsibility, independence, or leadership.
Later stage career	Senior, highly experienced professionals. Includes portfolio careers.

4. Respondents

At this stage, we are aiming to engage a broad range of people and organisations, ensuring that a wide spectrum of perspectives is represented. Incorporating diverse input will support the development of future policy that contributes to an economy in which everyone, across the UK, can succeed.  

 Respondents should feel welcome to either:  

• provide responses to all the policy areas outlined in this call for evidence or,
• focus on specific areas or experiences.

We encourage respondents to reference any studies, evaluations, datasets, or published work (including internal or unpublished analysis) that you think are particularly relevant to the issues covered in this call for evidence.  Please provide links or references where possible.

5. Questions

About your response

1. Are you responding to this call for evidence as an individual or on behalf of an organisation?

• I am responding as an individual
• I am responding on behalf of an organisation
• I am responding both as an individual and on behalf of an organisation

About you

2. Which of the following best describes your current role?

• Technical role (e.g. software engineer, data scientist, developer, architect)
• Technical leadership role (e.g. lead engineer, principal, CTO)
• Non‑technical role within the tech sector (e.g. product, policy, HR, operations)
• Senior leadership or executive role
• Research, academic, or education role
• Student or trainee
• Founder or co‑founder
• Prefer not to say
• Other (please specify):

3. Which best describes your current career stage?

• Student or pre-entry
• Early career (e.g. junior roles, first few years)
• Mid career
• Senior or leadership level
• Later-stage career (e.g. 50+, reskilling, portfolio career)
• Prefer not to say

4. How long have you worked in the tech sector, if at all?

• I have not worked in the tech sector
• Less than 2 years
• 2–5 years
• 6–10 years
• More than 10 years
• Prefer not to say

5. Which of the following best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non binary
• Another gender identify (please specify)

6. Do you identify with any of the following groups?

Disabled or long-term health condition

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

From an ethnic minority background

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

From a socio‑economically disadvantaged background

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Caring responsibilities (e.g. children, adults)

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

About your organisation

7. Which of the following best describes your organisation?

• Private sector business
• Start up or scale up
• Large enterprise
• Public sector organisation
• Charity or third sector organisation
• Academic or research institution
• Industry body or professional association
• Investor or funder
• Other (please specify):

8. Which of the following best describes your organisation’s primary focus?

• Software / digital services
• Data, AI or machine learning
• Cyber security
• Hardware, engineering or manufacturing
• Emerging technologies (e.g. AI, quantum, engineering biology)
• Platform or infrastructure services
• Education or training
• Policy, regulation or research
• Other (please specify):

9. Approximately how many people does your organisation employ in the UK?

• Fewer than 10
• 10–49
• 50–249
• 250–999
• 1,000 or more
• Don’t know / Prefer not to say

10. Which parts of the UK does your organisation’s experience primarily relate to?

• UK-wide
• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Specific local or regional areas (please specify):

11. What is the name of your organisation?

Call for evidence questions

12. To what extent, if at all, are emerging technologies changing the skills required in your organisation or sector?

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

13. Please describe the specific changes you are seeing in the skills required in your organisation or sector as a result of emerging technologies.

14. To what extent, if at all, are emerging technologies leading to new or significantly changed roles in your organisation or sector?

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

15. Please describe any new or significantly changed roles emerging in your organisation or sector due to emerging technologies.

16. To what extent, if at all, are emerging technologies reshaping traditional career pathways in your organisation or sector?

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

17. Please describe the changes you are observing in career pathways in your organisation or sector.

18. In your experience, to what extent are changes to skills, roles or career pathways due to emerging technologies affecting who applies for, or succeeds in, tech roles within your organisation or sector?

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know
• I have not seen changes to the skills, roles, or career pathways in my organisation or sector due to emerging technologies

19. Please describe the changes you are noticing in who applies for, or succeeds in, different tech roles? What do you think may be driving these changes?

20. To what extent, if at all, have each of the following helped women and people from under-represented groups to enter, stay in, and progress in the tech sector?

Training or upskilling opportunities

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

Team or organisational culture

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

Access to leadership roles or decision-‑making spaces

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

Funding or resources

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

Policies or regulations (inside or outside organisations)

• To a great extent
• To some extent
• Hardly at all
• Not at all
• Don’t know

21. At which stages in education or work do you think support is most important for helping women and people from under‑represented groups enter, stay in, and progress within the tech sector?

• At school (e.g. subject choices, early exposure to tech)
• Further education or training (college, apprenticeships, bootcamps)
• Entering the tech sector for the first time
• Early-career development
• Moving into management for the first time
• Progressing into senior leadership roles
• Returning to work after time out (parental leave, caring responsibilities, illness)
• Experiencing major life or health transitions (e.g. menopause, disability-related changes)
• Later-stage careers
• Don’t know / None of these
• Other (please specify):

22. Please tell us why you think these stages matter, and what contributes to women or people from under‑represented groups facing barriers at these points.

23. Which initiatives and interventions, if any, have helped women and people from under‑represented groups develop and progress in their tech careers?

24. Which initiatives and interventions, if any, have helped women and people from under‑represented groups influence decisions or shape emerging technology areas?

25. Which, if any, initiatives or interventions that have previously been used now feel less effective as the tech sector changes, and what changes or alternatives would you suggest?

26. Is there anything else that you would like to share to inform the work of the Women in Tech Taskforce?

6. How to respond

Submit your responses online here.

If you cannot respond via the online form, you may send your response by email to DiversityInTech@dsit.gov.uk.

This call for evidence was launched on Wednesday 12 March 2026, and will remain open for 6 weeks. Responses will be accepted until 11.59pm on Thursday 23 April 2026.