Steering Regional Resilience: Reflections on Two Years Supporting DSIT’s Cyber Local Programme

Leave a Reply

As Chair of the West Midlands Cyber Working Group, I’ve helped lead DSIT’s Cyber Local steering group for the region over the past two years. Working alongside regional experts, I’ve supported the selection of projects that strengthen cyber resilience on the ground, including Aston University’s powerful work on cyber violence against women and girls. This experience has reinforced just how critical locally informed funding is to building practical, inclusive, and impactful cyber capability.

Over the last two years, I’ve had the privilege of supporting the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Cyber Local programme. First as co-chair and more recently as chair, of the West Midlands Cyber Steering Group. This role has involved reviewing, interrogating, and helping to prioritise Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for regional cyber resilience funding across our local ecosystems.

Our West Midlands Cyber Steering Group is a genuinely collaborative forum. Fellow review members include Michelle Ohren at West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre (WM CRC), Ryann Protheroe at Midlands Cyber, and academics from Aston, BCU, University of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Warwick. We’re also joined by business leaders from companies like MetCloud, startups such as School of Coding, organisations like the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the UK Telecom’s Lab (UKTL) and UK and representatives from regional bodies, including West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Innovation Allaince for the West Midlands (IAWM), and TechWM. This broad mix ensures that our decisions reflect both technical rigour and practical relevance to the communities we serve.

The West Midlands Cyber Steering Group

Our steering group, made up of regional experts, practitioners, and delivery partners, is tasked with a critical responsibility: ensuring that public funding not only addresses DSIT’s strategic aims but also delivers tangible value on the ground. In the West Midlands, this means investing in initiatives that build capacity, raise awareness, drive inclusion, and strengthen our collective cyber defences. It is a team hand-picked by DSIT to deliver the best visibility into the local regional needs for and of cyber.

Given the collaborative nature of the steering group, it’s important to note that many members represent organisations that may also bid for funding or be listed as supporters within others’ proposals. This makes transparency and good governance essential. DSIT has stringent conflict of interest rules and a structured review process, with validations and checks at every stage. Locally, the steering group also follows established controls to manage conflicts fairly and consistently, with the Chair coordinating declarations and recusal procedures where appropriate, all under the watchful oversight of DSIT. This ensures the integrity of the process and builds trust in the outcomes we collectively shape.

Supporting High-Impact Initiatives

Through this programme, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand how funding, when aligned with local need and ambition, can act as a catalyst. The West Midlands region has backed several ambitious and meaningful projects.

One programme that stands out is Aston University’s work on “Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls (CVAWG)”. This initiative brings a profoundly human dimension to cyber resilience, exploring how online harms disproportionately affect women and girls and developing tools, knowledge, and practical frameworks to help mitigate these risks. Aston’s focus on the interplay between digital behaviour, societal vulnerability, and cybersecurity is both timely and urgent, and I’m proud that our steering group supported its progression.

A Model of Regional Coordination

The Cyber Local programme serves as a practical example of how central government can empower regional voices to shape cyber investment. It’s also a reminder that cybersecurity is not simply a matter for large organisations or national strategy; it is local, lived, and embedded in the fabric of everyday communities and SMEs.

As Chair of the West Midlands Cyber Working Group (WM CWG), and as someone who has spent over 35 years building and securing technology systems, I recognise the importance of fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and government. The Cyber Local programme has helped to strengthen these links. But there is more to do, especially as we prepare to deliver the next phase of our regional cyber ambitions. For my part this includes helping to develop a Cyber Festival to connect innovators, practitioners, and policymakers at scale, and to be part of the initiative to deliver a “Home” for Cyber in the WMs, answering the critical question of “I get off the train at new Street or Snow Hill, where do I go?”

Looking Ahead

As we enter the next funding window, I remain committed to ensuring that every pound of public investment is matched by clarity of purpose, strength of delivery, and a deep connection to regional impact. I’m also grateful to the partners who continue to give their time and expertise to this work, from universities and public sector leaders to cyber startups, resilience centres, and frontline educators.

There’s also scope to improve how the Cyber Local steering process operates. One idea I’d like to see explored is a cross-region steering group get-together, a chance for chairs and reviewers across the UK to share what’s worked, where the challenges lie, and how different regions are interpreting DSIT’s goals. This would help create a more cohesive and informed national picture without losing local nuance.

We could also benefit from clearer guidance on impact metrics, shared frameworks for assessing delivery risk, and better tracking of funded outcomes over time. At present, steering groups often work in isolation; a more joined-up, iterative feedback loop with DSIT would increase confidence in the long-term value of these investments and reduce duplication of effort across regions.

Cybersecurity may be visibly technical, but its success lies in the human connections we make to deliver it. That’s what makes regional programmes like Cyber Local so vital. If you’re working on a local cyber initiative and want to connect, I’m always open to hearing from others committed to building a more resilient future.

References

Official Government and Programme Information

Industry Partner Support

Key Deadlines – 2025

  • Expression of Interest Deadline: Friday, 14 March 2025 (Midnight)
  • Full Application Deadline: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 (11:00 AM UK time)
  • Earliest Project Start Date: 1 September 2025
  • Latest Project End Date: 31 March 2026

Funding Summary – 2025

  • Total Fund: £1.8 million
  • Typical Grant Size: £25,000 – £150,000
  • Funding Coverage: Up to 100% of eligible costs
  • Project Duration: 3 to 6 months
  • Regional Focus: England only – including the West Midlands, East Midlands, London, and others