In August 2025, the Labour government launched the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, a £9.5 million UK-wide initiative to tackle digital exclusion by getting devices, connectivity, and digital skills into the hands of people left behind by an increasingly online society. Pensioners born before 1959 are among the primary target groups. The fund closed to applications in September 2025, with all funded activities required to complete by 31 March 2026.
For health and social care providers, this is not a peripheral technology story. It sits directly at the intersection of how care is commissioned, how service users access support, and how providers evidence their digital capability in competitive tenders.
What the Fund Does and How It Works
The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund sits within Labour’s broader Plan for Change and was delivered through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Local authorities, combined authorities, charities, and research organisations in England were eligible to apply for grants between £25,000 and £500,000. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland managed their own distribution.
Funded projects cover three areas: distributing devices such as smartphones and laptops, delivering digital skills workshops and training, and developing innovative approaches to sustained digital inclusion. A total of 80 projects across England received funding. Age UK, for example, received a grant to support 7,000 older people in learning to use the NHS app for health management. Sheffield United Community Foundation used e-sports gaming to teach digital skills to 400 disadvantaged young people. The fund is part of a wider suite of commitments that also includes the IT Reuse for Good charter, which encourages organisations to donate unused devices.
The scale of the problem the fund is addressing is significant. As of 2025, 1.6 million people in the UK were completely offline and 7.9 million adults lacked basic digital skills. People who are digitally excluded pay up to 25 per cent more for essentials including home insurance, food, and train travel. They face barriers to accessing GP appointments online, navigating the NHS app, applying for benefits, and staying connected to support services.
Why This Matters Directly for Care Providers
The populations most affected by digital exclusion overlap almost exactly with the populations that health and social care providers serve. Older adults, people with disabilities, people in deprived communities, and individuals in supported living or residential settings are consistently overrepresented among the digitally excluded. As the NHS and local authority commissioning infrastructure shifts further toward digital service delivery, including remote consultations, online care planning platforms, and digital care records, service users who cannot navigate these tools face compounding disadvantage.
For providers delivering live-in care and extra care services, digital inclusion is also a quality and safeguarding issue. A service user who cannot access the NHS app, complete digital benefit claims, or contact support services independently is more dependent on the provider and more isolated when the provider is not present. Supporting digital capability as part of a care package is increasingly what commissioners mean when they ask for evidence of person-centred, outcomes-focused care.
The Funding Breakdown by Nation
| Nation | Allocation | Managed By |
| England | £7.278 million | DSIT (via local applications) |
| Scotland | Per capita share | Scottish Government |
| Wales | Per capita share | Welsh Government |
| Northern Ireland | Per capita share | Northern Ireland Executive |
| Total | £9.5 million | UK-wide |
What Commissioners Expect Providers to Evidence
The digital inclusion agenda is now embedded in how ICBs and local authorities think about the quality of care being delivered. Providers who can demonstrate a structured approach to supporting service users’ digital access and capability are better positioned in both CQC inspections and competitive tenders. This does not mean providers must fund devices themselves. It means they must show awareness of the issue, signpost service users to available schemes, and integrate digital access into care and support planning.
For providers bidding for domiciliary care contracts or supported living frameworks, the following are becoming standard scored criteria:
- Evidence that care and support plans address digital access and capability as part of promoting independence and reducing isolation.
- Staff training that covers digital signposting, including awareness of local device and skills schemes funded through programmes like the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.
- Partnership arrangements with local organisations delivering digital inclusion support, referenced in method statements.
- Policies that address the additional safeguarding risks faced by digitally excluded service users, including vulnerability to scams and isolation.
AssuredBID
Labour’s digital inclusion agenda reflects a broader commissioning shift toward independence, prevention, and outcomes. Providers who build this understanding into their tender submissions demonstrate that they are operating at a system level, not just a service delivery level. Our bid management services help you make that case compellingly in every tender you submit.
Book a free consultation at assuredbid.co.uk/book-a-consultation
