Fourteen government-backed initiatives across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland aim to expand local tech sectors and create jobs outside London. The projects form part of the £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme, designed to help businesses and founders scale through training, guidance, networking, and localised support.
The programme targets specific regional needs, including early-stage gaming startups in Scotland, pathways from further education to entrepreneurship in Lancashire, scaling support for tech businesses in Yorkshire, an AI innovation challenge in Wales, and advanced connectivity growth in Suffolk. Several initiatives also focus on increasing diversity within the tech sector, with projects in Northern Ireland and the West Midlands supporting underrepresented founders and promoting AI adoption.
Complementing the projects, the programme includes National Investment Corridors, a series of events connecting regional tech businesses with investors. The first two events are scheduled in Bristol and Leeds.
The UK Tech Cluster Group will oversee delivery of the programme, working to ensure local expertise drives outcomes and that knowledge from individual projects is shared across ecosystems. Additional workshops will cover tech ecosystem planning and best practice for authorities nationwide. Further details, including event dates and venues, will be released by UK Tech Cluster Group.
