New fund launched to support innovations helping disabled people into work

Businesses, charities, and public sector organisations are being invited to apply to a new fund to trial innovations to support disabled people and those out of work due to ill-heath into employment.

The £60 million Pathways to Work Innovation Fund will open for bids in September 2026 and will invite organisations to test new approaches to employment support that could help support the 2.8 million people currently out of work due to health challenges.

An expert panel – including Paralympian Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson – will help shape the design of the fund and advise on which innovations should be funded, ensuring the voices and experience of disabled people are placed at the very heart of the process.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, said:

“I am delighted to be joining this expert panel at such an important moment. Finding and sustaining work matters enormously – not just for individual wellbeing and independence, but for society as a whole.

“We know that with the right support, disabled people can and do thrive in the workplace.

“The world is changing rapidly, and the systems that support disabled people must keep pace with that change. This Fund is a real opportunity to back the bold, creative ideas that can make that happen.”

To mark the fund’s launch, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has visited technology trade association, TechUK, to discuss with members how new technology can help transform people’s working lives.

Antony Walker, Deputy CEO of TechUK, said:

“The announcement that the Department for Work and Pensions is investing into an Innovation Fund is very welcome. Thousands of disabled people and those with health conditions are locked out of the workforce, not for lack of talent, but because of barriers that persist across many careers.

“Our members are already developing and deploying innovative technologies that are breaking down those barriers, helping people to find work, stay in work and thrive in their careers.

“This investment has the potential to build on that success, accelerating the adoption of proven solutions and supporting even more disabled people to access rewarding employment while helping employers tap into a wider pool of talent.”