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Celebrating the winners of the techUK Transformation in Public Sector Awards 2026

9 October 20263 min read
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Celebrating the winners of the techUK Transformation in Public Sector Awards 2026

From a crisis platform that supported 166,000 citizens in three weeks to AI protecting nearly £4 million in child maintenance payments, the winners of techUK's inaugural Transformation in the Public Sector Awards show digital government at its best.

We developed these Awards through our Central Government Council to celebrate not only great delivery, but also the open, early engagement between government and industry that makes great delivery possible. We announced winners at Building the Smarter State, our flagship public sector conference.

techUK Transformation in Public Sector Awards 2026: the winners

Citizen-Facing Technology Award

Winner: Citizen Crisis Support Platform — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

During the Iran crisis, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) faced unprecedented demand for consular support. Within 24 hours, the Register Your Presence service—built with Kainos—was deployed across seven countries, alongside a new Register Your Interest service for government‑chartered evacuation flights. The impact was extraordinary: 166,000 citizens were supported in three weeks, with peaks of 300 submissions per minute and 100% availability throughout.

Back-Office Digital Transformation Award

Winner: Predictive Analytics, Child Maintenance Service — Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Developed with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Digital and TCS, Predictive Analytics uses machine learning to score and rank more than 90,000 Child Maintenance cases by risk each month, enabling the Early Intervention Team to act before payments break down. This proactive approach has accelerated response times by four to six weeks. It has also helped 10% of at-risk cases remain compliant, protecting an estimated £3.9 million in maintenance payments in year one.

Best Pre-Procurement Market Engagement

Winner: Technology Services 4 — Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service)

The Technology Services 4 (TS4) team set a new standard in supplier engagement, dedicating 18 months to pre-market collaboration. The team delivered extensive pre-market engagement that focused on framework design shaped by continuous market feedback. To build trust and collaboration with suppliers, they offered 1-to-1 sessions, themed monthly supplier surgeries, Q&A sessions and knowledge sharing.

Best Strategic Market Engagement

Winner: Strategic Suppliers Event — Home Office

The Home Office redefined how government engages with industry, bringing together more than 230 suppliers for an open conversation about its Digital 2030 Strategy. Presented by the senior digital team, the event explained how data and technology will be used over the next five years to support better public services, stronger operational performance, and more effective policy delivery. Now embedded as a quarterly forum, it shows how senior leadership, transparency and strategic dialogue build stronger foundations for partnership.

Thank you

Congratulations to every winner and shortlisted nominee, and thank you to all who entered. Special thanks to our esteemed judges:

  • Matthew Evans, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Markets, techUK

  • Nicola Hodson, Chief Executive, UK & Ireland, IBM and Vice President, techUK Board

  • David Knott, Former Government Chief Commercial Officer

  • Georgina Maratheftis, Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK

  • Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Technology Procurement Officer, Government Commercial Agency

  • Abigail Wyndham, Account Director, Stellarmann and Vice Chair, Central Government Council, techUK

Want to be part of next year's awards? Keep an eye on our website and LinkedIn for details on how to enter.