Mayor announces new competition to help Londoners into work

• £450,000 programme launched today to develop innovative ways to help Londoners enhance their skills and move into new or better jobs. 
• Half of the grants available to be led by female, deaf / disabled, or Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic individuals
• Innovators and creators who pitch the most impactful solutions will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their ideas
• Applications open on 7 March 2024 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is today launching a new competition that will help to pioneer new ways to help disabled Londoners, women, refugees, young and older Londoners to access skills and employment support. 

The Mayor’s adult skills programmes have already supported over one million learners. However, the continuing cost-of-living crisis makes it more important than ever for Londoners furthest from the labour market to get the support they need to help them build their skills, and move into new and better jobs.

Sadiq’s new “No Wrong Door” challenge is open to all and will support up to 15 innovators to embrace new technology to aid access to employment.

Research commissioned by City Hall(1) has shown that employment and skills services could be improved through technology and innovative solutions to address barriers that make it harder for some groups of Londoners to access support. 

From 7^th March, applicants are invited to submit ideas to identify and test fresh approaches that address the challenges that disabled Londoners, women, refugees, young Londoners and older Londoners face; such as lack of support for those with unique needs when navigating employment applications or systems; insufficient understanding from employers when tailoring jobs and asks to specific groups such as young or migrant Londoners and lack of support for physical or mental health barriers.  

With ideas from websites and apps to in-person classes encouraged, it is expected that at least half of the 15 grants available will go towards innovations led by female, deaf / disabled, or Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic individuals.

The innovators will be supported through a four month development programme to research, build and test their solutions and to identify further funding and partnership opportunities.  

The most impactful solutions will be awarded funding of up to £50,000 - with their programmes helping underserved groups such as refugees, diverse communities, young people and women get back to work.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:  “I am delighted to open this competition that will help Londoners develop the skills they need to move into work, ensuring our economy has the talented workforce it needs to thrive.

“In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, increased rents and mortgages and rising energy bills, it is more important than ever for Londoners to get the right employment support. I encourage people to enter this competition as I continue to build a better, fairer more prosperous London for everyone.”  

Martin Clark, CEO, Allia Impact, said: “Allia Impact is delighted to be chosen to deliver the Mayor of London’s No Wrong Door Challenge because we passionately share the same goals – to create dynamic social impact businesses that target the most urgent challenges of our time. We all want to see the support for Londoners to get and stay in good work to be improved, and we are confident that the city’s social innovators will embrace this through the programme. So we can’t wait to get started and help create the change we all want to see.”