techUK Policy Programme during COVID-19

What is techUK’s policy team doing through this period?

Information to members

• techUK is in the process of developing a micro-site which we hope will be live in the next day or so. This will be a hub for information – summarising and digesting Government announcements and helping the sector understand the impact it has on their businesses etc.
• The microsite will also serve as a place to gather good news stories – we’ve seen remarkable steps taken from within our membership to help the NHS/the Government and wider UK public adapt and respond to COVID-19.

If you want to contribute a guest blog outline the work your organisation is doing please contact me: [email protected]

If you want to be kept up to date with the latest please join our COVID-19 taskforce mailing list: [email protected]

Intelligence Gathering

• The policy team is working quickly to gather information about how COVID-19 is impacting its members. This information will be fed into No10, BEIS, HMT and DCMS. To this end we have a rough and ready survey that will take no longer than ten minutes to complete but should give us some data to support our evidence into Government. Please take the time to complete it today if possible – we will be analysing results tomorrow.
• Feeding into Government and gaining intelligence about how Government is structuring itself through this period is also a key stream of work in the policy team. There are regular calls being set up with DCMS and BEIS ministerial teams which techUK will participate in as well as continued engagement with No10 and Cabinet Office on coordination.
• The government’s new processes are still bedding in but we are stressing to them the need for one landing zone for our sector. Via the PPG, our Councils and Working Groups we will be sure to keep members updated of changes to how Government is structuring itself through this period.

Addressing the needs of the sector

• techUK is aware that many of our members will be seriously affected by COVID-19 in a number of ways and are looking for support from Government.
• The policy team is leading on collating on these queries/questions/concerns and feeding them back into Government. These fall into three buckets:
  • The immediate impact – change in working patterns – impact on labour supply/supply chain disruption/business continuity
  • Preparing for a ‘lockdown situation’ – how can businesses be supported through this period. What carve out/exemptions are needed for the tech sector to ensure infrastructure, remote working etc can continue to be facilitated etc.
  • Addressing the wider and longer-term economic impact

If you have any questions and queries that you want answers to – whether that is relaxation in regulations/additional guidance from regulators/changes to the law/financial support etc. please contact [email protected]