Barnsley AI Upskilling Fund
The Barnsley AI Upskilling Fund is a competitive grant programme providing a total of £800,000 to support AI upskilling providers to deliver pilot projects in Barnsley. The programme forms part of the Tech Town initiative, which aims to increase AI adoption, improve workforce capability and address barriers to the use of AI across the private and public sectors.
The Fund will support locally delivered AI skills programmes that test new approaches to workforce development while generating evidence on effective delivery models. Funded projects must demonstrate potential for replication in other parts of the UK and contribute to the development of scalable approaches to place-based AI upskilling.
The programme seeks to increase AI integration within businesses, improve workforce participation and progression, support inclusive local economic growth and identify approaches that can be applied more widely.
Applications must address one of two challenge objectives:
- Sector-focused AI workforce capability and adoption – supporting intensive AI training in priority sectors where there is potential for AI-driven growth but barriers such as cost, limited workforce capability or insufficient tailored provision restrict uptake. Priority sectors include manufacturing, logistics, health and professional business services.
- Reaching and enabling underserved workforce groups – testing approaches to engage people who are not well served by existing AI training, including younger or entry-level workers, workers aged 40 and over, women and individuals without higher or further education qualifications.
Applications are open to public sector, not-for-profit and private sector organisations based in the UK. Applicants must be registered in the UK, have their head office in the UK and have been registered for at least one year from the date the Fund launched. Individuals and local authorities are not eligible to apply.
The deadline for applications is 12 August 2026 (17:00).
