Connect to Work

About Connect to Work

Connect to Work is the first programme under the Government’s new Get Britain Working Strategy.

Connect to Work will be a voluntary, high-fidelity Supported Employment programme, connecting work, health and skills support across all of England and Wales. It will be delivered via grants across 43 clusters of Local Authorities in England and four clusters in Wales. In addition, Connect to Work funding for supported employment places in Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities will be included in the new Integrated Settlement from 2025 to 2026.

Lead Local Authorities (Accountable Bodies for the programme) will lead the design of their local offer, shaped around local services and priorities, to help people find and fulfil their potential to work.

Connect to Work will support those, primarily, currently outside the workforce and facing greater labour market disadvantages, to get into work and to stay in work.

In 2026 to 2027, across England and Wales, Connect to Work funding will support around 100,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment to help them get into and on in work.

Grant Guidance

This Grant Guidance provides detailed policy and delivery information to support Connect to Work Accountable Bodies (working with local partners and the Department for Work and Pensions) to develop their own local Connect to Work offers, in agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions. There is separate grant guidance for England and for Wales.  The information is also likely to be useful to key local partners such as other Upper Tier and Unitary local authorities in the Delivery Area, strategic health bodies, Supported Employment providers, employers and business representative bodies and voluntary and community organisations.