Northern Ireland, 13th January 2026 – The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) via a Social Value program, are expanding its Tech4Youth initiative to Northern Ireland to provide free devices, digital literacy workshops and online access support to young people between the ages of 11-16 in the area to boost digital inclusion.
As Northern Ireland is estimated to have the highest digital poverty rates across the nations of the UK, particularly in rural areas where 17 per cent of premises still lack decent broadband, Tech4Youth aims to close this gap.
The initiative aims to provide young people experiencing digital poverty with devices to support their educational and employment prospects, eliminating barriers to opportunity by ensuring access to the digital tools and resources needed to learn, grow, and thrive in an increasingly connected world.
The programme is particularly focused on young people with health conditions or disabilities, care responsibilities, or experience of the care system, as well as the families who support them. These families who are more likely to be isolated and face greater challenges in completing education and building skills.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: “Essential services such as education, healthcare, and banking continue to move online, making digital access no longer a luxury but a necessity.
For young people, this access is especially critical, as without a reliable device, digital skills, and a stable internet connection, they risk falling behind in school, missing out on qualifications, and struggling to take their first steps into the workplace. Unfortunately, this level of access is still out of reach for over 19 million people across the UK, particularly for young people in underserved communities.
Through donating, refurbishing and redistributing devices, we can continue to bring people, who otherwise struggle to afford the devices they need, back online and get unused devices out of drawers and into homes that need them.”
The Northern Ireland expansion follows the success of earlier Tech4Youth programmes and comes at a time when digital access is more important than ever. Last year, this programme distributed 60 laptops to young people across Northern Ireland, highlighting both the impact and the ongoing demand for support. Whether for completing homework, applying for jobs, or staying in touch with essential services, reliable digital connectivity has become a basic requirement for participation in modern life.
Social value clauses as a result of major digital contract awards within the public sector are helping us to strengthen digital inclusion, which is such a critical enabler of access, opportunity, and equity.
With Tech4Youth, we can ensure that more young people in Northern Ireland have the tools, skills, and connectivity they need to participate fully in society. Digital inclusion is not just about technology, it is about opening doors to education, employment, and community, and ensuring no one is left behind in an increasingly connected world.”
The Digital Poverty Alliance’s 2025 Digital Educational and Media Literacy in Schools showed that without equitable access, young people are more vulnerable to misinformation isolation and miss opportunities both in education and employment.
To learn more about the scheme, donate a device and/or apply for a free laptop, please visit: www.digitalpovertyalliance.
