Grants are available to a wide range of UK organisations, including charities, social enterprises, local authorities and the private sector, for innovative proposals that support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions move towards, enter, stay and progress in work.
The Pathways to Work (PtW) Innovation Fund has £10 million available for allocation in Round 1. Up to £50 million will be available in a second round of the Fund, details of which are expected to be announced in early 2027.
The PtW Innovation Fund has 2 principal objectives:
- To support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions move towards, enter, stay and progress in work, and
- To build evidence about what works and for whom, so that successful approaches can be adopted more widely
Grant funding will be provided to test new and innovative ideas that support these aims.
Ideas that are tested should generate learning and evidence that can improve future services and have the potential to be adopted, replicated or scaled.
Through this, the PtW Innovation Fund will support the wider ambitions of Pathways to Work by building evidence of what works to reduce the disability employment gap, improve employment opportunities for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, and create a more joined-up system of employment, health and skills support.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wants 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, and
- Applying an existing intervention or product in a significantly different context, labour market or with a new target group.
Examples of proposals DWP would not want to fund include:
- Delivering an existing service without a significantly different approach
- Expanding existing support without a significant learning opportunity
- Initiatives that are currently being delivered, unless they will be demonstrating a different approach or expecting different outcomes, or
- Minor changes to existing support without a significant learning opportunity
Applications are now being accepted until Monday 26 October 2026. The DWP has published an applicant bid pack and frequently asked questions (FAQs). An online application portal, which the DWP states will be the best way to apply, will be launched in October 2026. In the meantime, an application form can be downloaded and submitted by post or email (to dwp.pathwaystoworkinnovationfund@dwp.gov.uk).
Alongside the application form, applicants are also required to submit the following documents:
Milestones and delivery template – please provide a concise overview of how the proposal will be delivered, the important milestones to be achieved and how delivery will be monitored throughout the project, and
A budget template – please provide a clear breakdown of the funding requested and how it will be used to test, develop, implement or evaluate the innovation.
Further information about the PtW Innovation Fund is available on the DWP website. The application deadline is Monday 26th October 2026.