The Pathways to Work (PtW) Innovation Fund was announced by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, on 14 July 2026.
The Innovation Fund is part of Pathways to Work, the government’s £3.5 billion investment to support disabled people and people with health conditions to move into, stay in and progress in work.
The Pathways to Work (PtW) Innovation Fund has two objectives:
- To support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions move towards, enter, stay and progress in work
- To build evidence about what works and for whom, so that successful approaches can be adopted more widely
The Department for Work and Pensions want to hear ambitious and practical proposals, including but not limited to:
- A new use of technology
- A new service, intervention, product or delivery model
- A new partnership or way of working that can join-up across the system and make it work better for people
- An approach that helps employers to support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
- Applying an existing intervention or product in a significantly different context, labour market or with a new target group
The fund is not for initiatives that are currently being delivered, unless they will be demonstrating a different approach or expecting different outcomes.
The government has appointed an advisory panel to Help shape the PtW Innovation Fund’s design, review shortlisted bids and make recommendations on which bids should be funded. They bring expertise in areas such as technology, innovation, employment support and delivery. Some have lived experience of disability.
The advisory panel members currently appointed are:
- Giles Barker – Workplace Disability Lead, Channel 4
- Mark Esho – founder, Easy Internet Services and Easy Internet Solutions
- Nabila Gardner – member of the DWP Independent Disability Advisory Panel and Director, Health and Wellbeing Coach at Ways for Wellbeing UK CIC
- Andrew Greenway – founder, Public Digital
- Mark Hodgkinson – chair, The Valuable 500 Foundation
- Angela Matthews – director of Public Policy and Research, Business Disability Forum
- Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive Officer, Mencap
- Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson – Paralympian and member of House of Lords
- Professor Adam Whitworth – Scottish Centre for Employment Research at the University of Strathclyde
The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) recommends that any bidders from our region may want to consider linking with their local ICB Neighbourhood Team and Local Authority Employability Leads to consider areas that may support funding applications, and link into the work that is already underway in the regional Health and Growth Accelerator and WorkWell programmes. If you would like to connect with them ahead of your funding application, email: nencicb.workandhealth@nhs.net
If you need an alternative format that is not provided, or if you have questions about eligibility or the scope of the PtW Innovation Fund, please email dwp.pathwaystoworkinnovationfund@dwp.gov.uk.