We are thrilled to share that Sheffield Digital has been selected to run a pilot project as part of the government’s Regional Tech Booster programme, designed to ‘ignite innovation and bolster growth’ outside of London. ‘Pathways off the plateau’ will support up to 24 South Yorkshire tech companies that are facing barriers to growth. The programme is backed by recent regional research and aims to address common challenges such as funding bottlenecks, a fragmented ecosystem and senior talent gaps. Companies can submit an expression of interest now, read on for more details.

Background to the project

In July 2025 the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced a £1 million programme – the Regional Tech Booster – aimed at accelerating the growth of tech clusters and early-stage digital startups in regions including South Yorkshire, Scotland, the North East, Humber and East Yorkshire.

DSIT selected the UK Tech Cluster Group (UKTCG) to allocate funding to projects within the designated regions. Sheffield Digital is one of 14 cluster organisations nationally picked to deliver a project.

Pathways off the plateau

Pathways off the plateau aims to unlock the growth potential of up to 24 digital tech businesses in South Yorkshire. The project is backed up by recent findings from Tech SY’s ‘Barriers to Scale’ survey and seeks to address challenges including funding bottlenecks, senior talent gaps and ecosystem fragmentation. It is also designed to support founders who are marginalised and have faced additional barriers to accessing mainstream business support.

Through participation in the programme, businesses will benefit from a growth diagnostic review to address unique barriers, peer support and guidance, access to expert support partners in areas such as HR and finance, and increased visibility through project comms.

Chris Dymond, Sheffield Digital Co-director, says,

“Pathways off the plateau is designed to give a number of companies practical help and actionable guidance, tailored to where they are now, what’s preventing growth, and where they want to be.

“We know from Tech SY’s recent research and our own insight from Sheffield’s tech community, that there are common barriers holding exciting companies with good growth potential back. With this investment we are able to pool expertise, connections and learnings to boost businesses along on their journey. This will positively impact the wider ecosystem and the regional economy. It’s really exciting news for South Yorkshire!”

Interested?

From now until the end of November we are accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from South Yorkshire based digital technology businesses that have plateaued in growth but have potential to scale. Click the button below to submit an EOI.