The UK wants to turn this Yorkshire town into a major tech hub
Key Points
- The AI Upskilling Challenge Fund offers a share of £800,000 for AI training in Barnsley
- Applications open 15 July 2026 and close 12 August 2026 via Find a Grant
- Any UK-based organisation can apply if training is delivered in Barnsley
- Successful applicants will be announced in September 2026
- The fund supports the government's target of 10 million workers with AI skills by 2030
Organisations across the UK can apply for a share of £800,000 from Wednesday (15 July) to deliver AI training to workers, businesses and residents in Barnsley, the government has announced.
The AI Upskilling Challenge Fund forms part of the Barnsley Tech Town initiative, announced on 3 February 2026, which positioned the South Yorkshire town as the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the fund will target support at those most at risk of missing out as technology transforms the workplace, including manufacturing workers, older residents, small businesses and young people entering the job market.
Training providers, charities, colleges, technology companies and employers based anywhere in the UK are eligible to apply, provided their programmes are delivered to residents and workers in the Barnsley area.
Applications close on 12 August 2026, with successful applicants identified in September 2026. Full details and eligibility criteria are available on the government’s Find a Grant platform from 15 July.
Minister for AI and Online Safety Kanishka Narayan said the government wants “the country’s most ambitious and creative training providers, businesses, colleges and charities” to bring forward ideas. “The best solutions won’t just help people in Barnsley – they could become a blueprint for how Britain equips a generation with the skills of the future,” he said.
The government said the fund is not intended for off-the-shelf solutions, and that funded projects must demonstrate the potential to be scaled across the UK. Evaluation findings will feed into the government’s commitment to equip 10 million UK workers with AI skills by 2030.
For Barnsley residents, the fund is expected to deliver free or subsidised AI training across the borough, from digital confidence courses for older people to job-ready skills programmes for entry-level workers.
Priority groups include workers in key local sectors such as manufacturing, older residents, and entry-level workers for whom existing free provision may be insufficient.
Councillor Andy Cudworth, Barnsley Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Assets, said the investment “supports Barnsley Council’s ambition to become the UK’s leading digital town” and helps future-proof the borough’s logistics and manufacturing sectors.
Scott Snodgrass, Director at Barnsley firm Hawk Lifting, said the company has already used AI to build an in-house invoice approvals system and plans to extend it to works order processing and inspections.
“AI isn’t the technology of the future anymore, it’s here and this training will help make sure people and businesses are not left behind,” he said.
Tech Town supports Barnsley 2030, the council’s long-term plan for the town.
