Guidance

TechFirst Local Fund: grant recipients

Updated 19 October 2026

This page lists the 2026 grant recipients of TechFirst Local Competition 1: Connecting local talent to local jobs.

Projects must be completed by 31 March 2027.

Alchemy Box Ltd

• Project: Work Passport
• Region: London, East of England
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

Work Passport will help SMEs identify where entry-level AI, cyber security and tech roles could add value to their business and support them to create 50 new jobs. Candidates will be assessed and matched to paid placements, where they can demonstrate their skills and build a verified record of workplace performance, enabling them to acquire permanent roles. The project will support 25–30 women out of a cohort of 50 into frontier technology roles.

Capslock Education Ltd

• Project: CyberMatch Cyber Skills Hub
• Region: North West England, West Midlands
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

A regional partnership to develop a skills-matching framework and digital platform to move cyber security hiring away from credential-checking towards competency validation, widening access to careers for underrepresented groups through an employer focused model that reduces hiring risk and builds confidence in non-traditional candidates.

Cogs AI Ltd

• Project: Neuroedge
• Region: London, East of England
• Jobs Created: 120

Project description

Neuroedge is a neuroinclusive recruitment platform connecting tech graduates with Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise employers across London and the East of England. Built by Cogs AI in partnership with Allia Impact, it matches graduates to AI and cybersecurity roles based on cognitive strengths, workplace needs and purpose alignment, not just CVs and keywords. Over the course of the project, it aims to create at least 120 new jobs across London, Cambridge and Peterborough.

Darogan Ltd

• Project: Tech Talent Cymru
• Region: Wales
• Jobs Created: 38

Project description

Tech Talent Cymru connects Welsh SMEs with trained graduates in AI and Cyber Security, providing six-month subsidised placements that build in-house digital and cyber capability while keeping graduate talent in Wales.

Data Story Ltd

• Project: Entry-Level Digital Talent Pathway for Rail SMEs
• Region: London, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands
• Jobs Created: 25-30

Project description

Entry-Level Digital Talent Pathway for Rail SMEs is a programme that helps rail supply chain SMEs recruit entry-level talent in AI, cyber security and advanced connectivity technologies across London, Yorkshire and Humber, and the West Midlands. Delivered by a consortium of partners, it combines capability-based assessment, AI-enabled candidate matching, mentoring and employer support to overcome barriers to hiring. The project will engage 40 rail SMEs, support 60 candidates, target 40% female participation, and create 25–30 permanent technology jobs while helping SMEs strengthen digital capabilities and compete for major infrastructure contracts.

Deep Tech Research Ltd

• Project: CyberMap South
• Region: South East England
• Jobs Created: 60

Project description

CyberMap South will identify SMEs in Sussex and Hampshire with unmet cyber needs but insufficient demand or budget for a full-time specialist. It will combine their requirements into fractional roles, enabling 60 local people to work across several businesses under senior mentors and build practical cyber experience.

Digital Boost Upskilling Ltd

• Project: Build: Connecting Scotland’s emerging tech talent to SMEs
• Region: Scotland
• Jobs Created: 90

Project description

Digital Boost and The Cloud Crew CIC will connect technically skilled jobseekers with small businesses across Scotland, creating clear pathways into employment while strengthening the digital capability of Scotland’s small business community. The programme embeds jobseekers within SMEs to deliver real 90-day digital transformation projects across AI, cyber and digital technologies, supported by technical coaches - acting as a catalyst that unlocks fair access to tech careers while boosting SME productivity through the kind of hands-on digital support and technical know-how that would otherwise be out of reach.

Digital Heard Ltd

• Project: JobFair NW: AI-Powered Inclusive Recruitment for North West Tech SMEs
• Region: North West England
• Jobs Created: 35

Project description

JobFair NW uses AI to help North West tech SMEs rewrite entry-level job descriptions so they attract a wider pool of qualified local applicants, particularly women. Working with 40 or more employers across the region, the project will improve over 150 job adverts and support at least 35 people, including a minimum of 20 women, into tech roles paying at or above the Real Living Wage.

END2END Talent Solution Ltd

• Project: Cyber Talent Incubator Network (CTIN)
• Region: North West England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

The Cyber Talent Incubator Network (CTIN) is a collaborative initiative that bridges the gap between newly trained cyber talent and employment through task-based mentoring, hands-on technical challenges, and wraparound support. CTIN develops job-ready cyber professionals while helping employers de-risk cyber talent recruitment and improve access to diverse talent.

Enterprise4All Limited

• Project: Women Into Frontier Tech
• Region: London, North West England
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

Women into Frontier Tech will support 50 women in London and the North West into AI jobs. Participants will gain practical skills and experience through training, live projects with small businesses and tailored career support.

European Innovation Limited

• Project: Trailblazers
• Region: West Midlands
• Jobs Created: 60

Project description

European Innovation (EI), in partnership with the School of Coding, is delivering the Trailblazers programme to help businesses adopt AI and digital technologies to improve productivity, innovation and growth. Through practical workshops, one-to-one support and hands-on implementation, the project enables organisations to identify opportunities, deploy AI solutions and secure the skills from Tech Graduates via mini placements needed to compete in an increasingly digital economy. Trailblazers supports businesses to embrace innovation, increase efficiency and create sustainable long-term growth.

Ford Electronics Ltd

• Project: Strengthening Local Tech Ecosystems: mmWave
• Region: West Midlands, East Midlands, South West England
• Jobs Created: 28

Project description

This project will develop a novel millimetre wave (mmWave) antenna for railway communications, delivered by Ford Electronics Ltd and Universal Signalling Ltd. The project will be supported by a specialist supply chain, acting as a catalyst for workforce development, creating new entry-level engineering roles across the consortium and its subcontractors.

FourPlus Immersive Ltd

• Project: AI Talent Accelerator to Enhance West Midlands Life Sciences & HealthTech SMEs
• Region: West Midlands
• Jobs Created: 15

Project description

FourPlus Immersive, RESILIENCE Ltd and the University of Birmingham HealthTech AI Hub will help West Midlands SMEs identify and test practical uses of AI. Local people will gain relevant skills through a Workplace Accelerator and industry hackathons before undertaking 25 paid Real Living Wage placements supporting businesses to adopt AI. At least 15 placements are expected to become longer-term jobs, creating a model that can be scaled to support regional growth.

Future Transformation CIC

• Project: TechLocal: Yorkshire — Community-to-Career Bridge into Local AI & Cyber Jobs
• Region: Yorkshire and Humber
• Jobs Created: 30-60

Project description

TechLocal: Yorkshire will connect people from underrepresented communities with local AI and cyber security career opportunities through employer-led training, mentoring, work experience and micro-internships. Delivered by Future Transformation CIC and The Stitch Society, the project will create inclusive pathways into high-growth digital careers while helping employers access diverse local talent.

Inclusive Growth Group Ltd

• Project: InHouse Works
• Region: London, East of England
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

InHouse Works will work with data centre and digital infrastructure employers in Essex and Hertfordshire to create short, role-specific online courses linked to live vacancies. Candidates complete this employer-authored training before applying, helping them understand the work and demonstrate their readiness, while employers gain a better-informed local applicant pool. The project will particularly support women and other groups underrepresented in technology into entry-level roles.

Iungo Solutions Ltd

• Project: Full-Stack Quantum MicroBootcamp
• Region: Wales, South West England
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

In partnership with The King’s Trust and Gateway Qualifications, Iungo Solutions will develop and deliver the Full-Stack Quantum MicroBootcamp, a targeted, rapid-upskilling programme designed to address the acute talent shortages within the UK’s Quantum, Artificial Intelligence, and Semiconductor frontiers. Operating across the South Wales and South West corridor, encompassing a supercluster of Deep Tech businesses in the Western Gateway, this MicroBootcamp specifically empowers Graduates to access quantum-ready roles, locally.

Kerckhoffs Ltd

• Project: The Northeast AI Buddy Framework: Democratising AI Fluency for Regional SME Productivity
• Region: North East England
• Jobs Created: 20

Project description

The Northeast AI Buddy Framework facilitates AI driven digital reverse mentoring by pairing local workers and small business owners with digital natives for democratising AI Fluency for Regional SME Productivity. This collaborative approach by Kerckhoffs Ltd, Bydaybreak Solutions Ltd, and Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen tackle real-world challenges side-by-side, effectively transforming the generational technology gap into a shared regional strength.

Manchester Digital Ltd

• Project: AI Workforce Model for SMEs
• Region: North West England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

Manchester Digital’s AI Workforce Model for SMEs will equip local talent with practical AI skills before placing them into North West SMEs for an eight-week applied project, helping businesses adopt AI while giving participants valuable real-world experience. The programme will create new routes into entry-level AI-enabled jobs while helping SMEs build the skills and confidence to use AI effectively.

Next AI Fusion Ltd

• Project: AgentForge Talent Engine
• Region: East of England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

Small businesses often lack the money and expertise to adopt AI, while entry-level candidates struggle to access AI jobs. AgentForge will give businesses simpler agentic AI tools and train 30 local people to manage and check them, creating entry-level roles that would not otherwise exist.

Optimise Cyber Solutions Ltd

• Project: Dual-Frontier Talent Integration Pathway (AI & Cyber)
• Region: Yorkshire and Humber, North East England, East Midlands
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

The Dual-Frontier Talent Integration Pathway will help 30 SMEs create new entry-level AI and cyber security roles across Yorkshire and Humber, the North East and East Midlands. Candidates will receive training matched to these roles, while employers receive £2,000 towards onboarding and mentoring costs. The programme will then support each recruit for six months to help them settle into sustained employment.

Qureca Ltd

• Project: SPRINT: Scottish Platform for Recruitment and Intelligence in New Technologies
• Region: Scotland
• Jobs Created: 55

Project description

SPRINT, the Scottish Platform for Recruitment and Intelligence in New Technologies will turn Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster into an active and fast AI enabled, employer-led hiring infrastructure. Focusing on Quantum, Cyber Security, Semiconductors and Advanced Connectivity Technologies, the project will connect local talent with real opportunities through a shared digital platform, structured capability-building sprints and a large-scale Critical Technologies Career Fair. By translating employer needs into validated role taxonomies, skills pathways and evidence-based candidate matching, SPRINT will reduce recruitment friction for SMEs and help Scottish talent move more effectively into high-value frontier technology jobs.

Reforward AI Ltd

• Project: Extended Work Simulation Technology for Youth Employment Readiness
• Region: Yorkshire and Humber
• Jobs Created: 7-12

Project description

StintAgents, developed by Reforward AI, helps young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training gain practical work experience through realistic, multi-week virtual work placements. Participants complete authentic workplace tasks, collaborate with AI-powered colleagues and build a verified portfolio demonstrating their skills and work readiness. The project will be piloted in West Yorkshire in partnership with the Staffordshire Black Business Network before being expanded into Staffordshire, helping participants build confidence, demonstrate their capabilities and progress into local employment.

Secure Forests CIC

• Project: Creating Entry-Level Environmental Intelligence System Technician Roles Through AI-Enabled Environmental Monitoring Deployment in Cornwall
• Region: South West England
• Jobs Created: 8-10

Project description

ForestSignal Cornwall will deliver a live deployment of the ForestSignal Environmental Intelligence System alongside a structured technician training pathway. Participants will gain practical, supervised experience in installation, commissioning, calibration, and operational use, while the project develops the standards, evidence and tools needed for future replication. This programme will establish a specialist training team and technology-focused course pathway, initially supporting up to 10 participants drawn from Secure Forests’ successful Land Management and Wildlife Conservation course cohorts. Participants will apply these technologies across a range of rural and forestry settings, providing a clear pathway into skilled employment within the environmental, conservation and land management sectors.

Sussex Innovation Centre Management Ltd

• Project: Tech Talent Champions
• Region: South East England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

Tech Talent Champions is on a mission to change how Sussex businesses think about entry level tech hiring. Working across Brighton, East Sussex, and West Sussex, the project connects trained talent in AI, cybersecurity, and digital technology directly with the innovative SMEs that need them, creating 45 paid placements and turning at least 30 into sustained jobs. In a region with world class technical training and a thriving frontier technology sector, the project will provide a structured, supported route from local talent into local tech careers, building a lasting ecosystem that keeps skilled people in Sussex.

Swansea University

• Project: SEMI-TALENT (Semiconductor Education, Manufacturing and Industry Talent Development)
• Region: Wales
• Jobs Created: 120

Project description

SEMI-TALENT will help create a pipeline of skilled workers for South Wales’ rapidly growing semiconductor cluster, supporting more new entry-level technology jobs and helping businesses access the talent they need to grow, invest and compete in global markets. Bringing together Swansea University, Vishay Newport and Imersifi, the project will combine hands-on training at the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials with pioneering immersive and mixed-reality training in readiness for opportunities at the UK’s largest semiconductor fab, building practical skills in silicon carbide, gallium nitride and advanced semiconductor manufacturing that will support economic growth in Wales and strengthen the UK’s strategic semiconductor capability.

Taught by Humans Ltd

• Project: AI Talent Pipeline South West
• Region: South West England
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

AI Talent Pipeline South West is a collaborative programme between Taught by Humans and techSPARK, supporting South West businesses to hire for entry-level AI roles (whether using or building with AI) - helping employers identify these entry-level roles and rewrite job specs to be entry-level friendly, opening up the talent pool. Jobseekers Discover, Develop and Demonstrate their skills through Taught by Humans’ platform - including the work-ready AI skills employers now expect - and are matched to roles based on what they can actually do, not their CV or degree.

Tech Educators Ltd

• Project: TechLocal: AI Talent Integration Pathway
• Region: East of England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

AI Talent Integration Pathway will create 30 new entry-level AI jobs across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex by connecting trained local talent with SMEs. Delivered by partners Tech Educators and Connected Innovation, it combines AI skills training with employer support to overcome barriers to hiring. Each participating SME receives a £2,000 Integration Fund to offset onboarding costs, while candidates receive technical training, career support and post-placement mentoring. The project targets 50% female participation and aims to increase AI adoption among SMEs while building a scalable model for future tech employment programmes.

Tech1Million Ltd

• Project: TalentLink
• Region: South West England, East of England, London
• Jobs Created: 60

Project description

TalentLink helps bridge the gap between frontier technology training and employment in London, the East of England and the South West. Delivered by PeopleXYZ (XYZ Labs Limited) and Kinhub (Optimum Health Limited), it will create 60 new jobs across AI, cyber security, quantum, semiconductors and advanced connectivity technologies. The project combines AI-powered skills assessment, bias-reduced candidate matching, structured paid work placements, Growth and Skills Levy support for SMEs, and post-hire retention coaching. A dedicated Women’s Frontier Technology Pathway will support 500 women and target 60% female hires. TalentLink aims to help SMEs recruit skilled talent while improving long-term employment outcomes in high-growth technology sectors.

The Skills and Business Hub Ltd

• Project: South East AI Talent Integration Pathway
• Region: South East England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

The AI Talent Integration Pathway supports individuals into entry-level tech careers through a 10-week Digital Innovator programme focused on building practical AI and digital skills, before matching them with Berkshire employers seeking their skills. Employers receive a £2,000 integration fund to support onboarding, helping them strengthen digital capability and develop their workforce.

The Smart Working Revolution Ltd

• Project: HarbourPilot: Connecting South West Talent to Entry-Level AI Jobs
• Region: South West England
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

HarbourPilot will help South West employers recruit local people into sustained entry-level AI and tech roles.

Led by Smart Working Revolution, with Alvia providing AI-supported interview and workforce insight tools, the project will run structured conversations with employers and candidates to identify real hiring needs, surface barriers that traditional surveys often miss, and turn local talent into 30 new tech job starts.

Tramsheds Tech Ltd

• Project: AI Workforce Bridge Wales
• Region: Wales
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

AI Workforce Bridge Wales is a collaborative project between Tramshed Tech and Taught by Humans with the goal of creating entry level AI roles across Wales. Starting with employers, the programme will consult Welsh businesses to identify the AI roles they actually need and secure hiring commitments before any training begins. Candidates then access personalised AI learning pathways in both English and Welsh, ensuring they are assessed, trained and matched to roles that employers have already committed to filling.

Trillectra AI Ltd

• Project: TechAccess NI: Connecting Local Talent to AI and Data Jobs
• Region: Northern Ireland
• Jobs Created: 30

Project description

TechAccess NI will connect local talent in Northern Ireland with employers seeking AI and data skills. The project will bring learners and employers together through an AI-enabled platform, employer-led training, mentoring and real-world business projects, helping participants build job-ready skills and progress into local technology roles.

Upskill Enterprise Ltd

• Project: CyberAxis
• Region: Northern Ireland
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

CyberAxis will help Northern Ireland businesses identify cyber skills gaps and turn them into 50 new jobs through funded Cyber Readiness Assessments. Young people and other local candidates will then build practical skills through competitions, bootcamps and certification before being matched to these roles.

Utiva Ltd

• Project: Fast Tracking London’s AI Talent into Tech (FliT)
• Region: London
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

Utiva’s London AI Career Accelerator will work with London employers to identify where adopting AI could improve their operations and translate those opportunities into 50 new entry-level roles. It will then assess and prepare local candidates for those roles, giving employers practical support to build AI capability while helping people move into sustained employment.

Veydar Ltd

• Project: Veydar AI Workforce Readiness Programme
• Region: London
• Jobs Created: 10

Project description

Veydar and New City College will give ten East London AI learners three months of supervised work experience on live AI development and governance tasks to address democratisation of high-cost AI tooling to dis-advantaged backgrounds. Participants will use Veydar’s cloud-based virtual 3D classroom, built on safeguarding and trust, receive a verified reference and employability support, and may be considered for roles at Veydar.

VividTech for Good CIC

• Project: VIBE Amplified: Wales AI and Cyber Talent Pipeline
• Region: Wales
• Jobs Created: 53

Project description

VIBE Amplified is a fully funded 12-week pilot opening up AI and cybersecurity careers to women and underrepresented talent across South Wales, with no degree, CV, or prior experience required. Trainees complete eight weeks of hands-on training in Applied AI or Cybersecurity Foundations, then move into a four-week paid placement with a local employer building a diverse, job-ready pipeline for the region’s growing tech sector.

Workplus Apprenticeships Ltd

• Project: Connecting Talent with AI-powered Tech Jobs in SMEs
• Region: Northern Ireland
• Jobs Created: 40

Project description

The AI FDE bootcamp will help 40 software students and graduates in Northern Ireland develop real time employer-informed AI capability and support them into entry-level, AI-enabled roles. Delivered by Software NI & Workplus, it will give employers access to AI-ready talent, widen participation in the sector and strengthen Northern Ireland’s capacity to adopt and apply AI.

X-Seed Technology Limited

• Project: XSeeker – Connecting Early Tech Talent with Frontier Technology Careers
• Region: West Midlands
• Jobs Created: 50

Project description

XSeeker will work with at least 50 employers to redesign vacancies for entry-level candidates and identify potential new roles in AI, cyber security and semiconductors. Its platform will show 100 graduates and new entrants how their skills match these opportunities, supported by industry mentoring and a careers event connecting them directly with employers. The project aims to turn this activity into 50 job opportunities, with women making up half of participants.

ZipCare Ltd

• Project: BRIDGE AI UK (Building Routes from Innovation (universities & startups) to Delivery for Growth-ready Enterprise AI in the UK)
• Region: South East England
• Jobs Created: 11

Project description

BRIDGE AI UK will develop and demonstrate an SME-led model that connects local talent to paid entry-level technology roles through applied work on automation and AI-enabled solutions linked to real business processes. Delivered by ZipCare in partnership with the University of Portsmouth, the project will help regional SMEs explore practical AI applications and identify opportunities to adopt AI and recruit local talent.