The Welsh Government has announced a plan for a new national programme of digital inclusion advice and support.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Jane Hutt announced the plan in a statement to the Senedd in advance of the conclusion of the existing Digital Communities Wales programme in September.
The new programme will include a number of initiatives, including the mapping of digital inclusion provision throughout Wales, advice through regional and thematic skills advisers, and the creation and updating of relevant resources.
There will also be an effort to bring together public and private sector stakeholders to share knowledge and best practice and provide strategic leadership.
Expertise and experience
A market engagement process has now begun to find a body with the right expertise and experience to deliver the support, with a view to having it in place and beginning the programme in October of this year.
The relevant market notice indicates that the contract will be worth over £10 million over the three year period, with the possibility of a three-year extension.
“It is important that our approach to digital inclusion flexes to ensure it is benefiting the most digitally excluded, who are often also those most disadvantaged and are experiencing other significant barriers such as social and financial exclusion,” Hutt said.
