The UK government is backing 14 projects through its £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme, supporting tech businesses and founders to grow local tech ecosystems.

The projects will provide businesses and entrepreneurs with targeted training, expert guidance, help to build networks, and support to scale their operations from within their communities.

This aims to ensure that the jobs and benefits of a thriving tech sector are available across the UK, not just London.

Regional Tech Booster projects will include a support scheme for early-stage gaming startups in Scotland, create pathways from further education to entrepreneurship in Lancashire, unlock growth for tech businesses ready to scale in Yorkshire, launch an AI innovation challenge in Wales, and accelerate the growth of the advanced connectivity technology industry in Suffolk.

Alongside the localised focus, some of the projects will also support greater diversity within the sector, with a focus on underrepresented founders. One in Northern Ireland will focus on boosting AI adoption amongst founders, and a West Midlands project will help underrepresented founders build up the networks and support they need to succeed in tech.

Government is partnering with UK Tech Cluster Group to deliver the £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme, ensuring local expertise is driving the work on the ground in these communities.

The programme also includes a series of investment events, through a National Investment Corridors initiative, with the first 2 taking place in Bristol and Leeds later this year. The National Investment Corridors will put local tech centre-stage, boosting investment into the UK’s tech talent from beyond the capital.

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“We want UK tech to grow and succeed from any and every corner of the country,” tech for growth minister, Kanishka Narayan MP said.

“It’s a no-brainer that supporting projects like these, and encouraging more investment across the UK, will catalyse our tech brilliance to boost economic growth and opportunities for communities nationwide.”

The Regional Tech Booster programme will also include workshops on tech ecosystem planning and sharing best practice for ecosystem development with authorities across the country.

“The sheer volume of strong applications we received shows there is a huge desire to grow tech ecosystems across the whole of the UK,” Dr David Dunn, UKTCG lead on Catalyst Pilot Projects said. “As the projects are delivered, we are excited to share learning across other ecosystems – it is this multiplier effect of knowledge transfer that really makes the Regional Tech Booster initiative valuable.