• New government unit will work with councils to make everyday services – from managing household finances to accessing local support – quicker and easier for residents across the UK.

• Local councils to be supported with access to services through GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK App, helping transform how residents interact with local services.

• Launched at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority HQ in Mann Island as government rolls out the new Government Digital and Data Hub and hosts Innovation Hackathon next week.

People across the UK will benefit from simple, streamlined local services – whether they’re applying for a driving licence, securing a school place, reporting a pothole or managing their council tax – thanks to a dedicated team that brings together the tech expertise of central and local government.

Launching today, the new GDS Local unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will work to make everyday tasks faster and easier for residents.

GDS Local will focus on three core areas:

• working with councils so that residents could eventually use GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK App to access both national and local services through a single account.
• reforming how councils buy technology, breaking costly “ball and chain” contracts which see councils locked into long-term agreements with single suppliers – often paying premium prices for outdated technology with little flexibility to switch providers – and giving councils genuine choice and control over their technology decisions and budgets.
• Supporting councils to share anonymised data on issues like homelessness trends or service demand through the Government Digital and Data Hub, facilitating sector-wide learning and the ability to scale innovations that work – whilst maintaining strict privacy protections.

This is part of the government’s plan to deliver national renewal by fundamentally rewiring the state – transforming the way people interact with and access the services they rely on every day.

Minister for Digital Government, Ian Murray, said:

“For too long, local councils have been left out of the digital transformation happening across central government, despite delivering the services that matter most to, and are closest to, people’s lives. 

“That changes today. GDS Local will help end the postcode lottery for digital services, giving every community access to modern, joined up and reliable online services. This is about making government work seamlessly for people wherever they live and delivering the world-class local digital experience they rightly expect.”

Part of the government’s Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, it also delivers on the commitments of the State of Digital Government Review to unlock £45 billion in productivity benefits across the public sector every year.

The Liverpool City Council Region Combined Authority has been working closely with GDS as an early partner, demonstrating how central-local collaboration can accelerate digital transformation and improve services for residents.

Liverpool City Region Cabinet Member for Innovation, Cllr Liam Robinson said:

“GDS Local is an important step forward in transforming public services through collaboration and innovation and I am delighted the government chose to launch this initiative here in the City Region, where we are already putting these principles into practice.

“Our first-of-its-kind Community Charter on Data and AI, developed by residents, sets out how technology can be used responsibly to improve lives. Through the AI for Good initiative and Civic Data Cooperative, we’re harnessing data and AI to tackle real-world challenges – from improving healthcare to tackling misinformation.

“And with the new Office for Public Service Innovation, we’re going further – using data, technology and fresh ideas to break cycles of deprivation, drive early intervention and create lasting opportunities in our communities.”

Cllr Dan Swords, Chair of the LGA’s Public Service Reform and Innovation Committee, said:

“The LGA has long championed the transformative power of digital technology to drive public service reform and improve the lives of our residents. We are delighted to see DSIT dedicating a new team, GDS Local, to the unique digital challenges facing local government. Alongside the work of both the LGA and MHCLG, this new team offers a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the pace of transformation, helping councils use data and technology to deliver services that are more accessible, efficient, and tailored to local need.” 

To bolster the work of the GDS Local unit, the UK Government is also rolling out the Government Digital and Data Hub. This is a new online platform where public sector digital and data professionals can learn, connect and share expertise.

The Hub brings together staff from central government, local councils, the NHS and other public bodies in one place for the first time. It gives them access to training courses, career guidance, networking events and practical resources to help improve their skills. The platform will help grow the UK’s public sector digital workforce, ensuring staff have the skills needed to deliver faster, simpler and more secure services for the public.

GDS Local will bring councils, tech experts and designers together in the coming days through the Local Government Innovation Hackathon. Taking place in Birmingham on 26–27 November, the event will bring together innovators from across sectors to explore how technology can help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Further information about GDS Local and how councils can get involved is available here.