Mayor Sadiq Khan has awarded £50,000 to three winners of his No Wrong Door Open Innovation Challenge, aimed at developing new ways to help Londoners improve their skills and secure
better employment. The winning projects are designed to support London’s diverse communities, including refugees, women, young people, and those facing additional challenges in entering the workforce.
The No Wrong Door challenge is part of the Mayor’s broader efforts to ensure that, regardless of an individual’s starting point or initial service accessed, they are connected to the right type of support at the right time to help them find meaningful employment.
Sadiq Khan encouraged innovators to tackle the challenges London’s diverse communities face when trying to access the labour market. These barriers include the lack of tailored support for navigating job applications, insufficient employer awareness when adapting jobs for individuals, and limited assistance for those facing physical or mental health issues.
The three winners are:
Earlybird – an AI-driven platform that equips individuals with the skills and support needed to overcome barriers to employment, helping them secure and retain meaningful jobs.
Facework Group CIC – an online platform that offers training and workspaces for refugees, focusing on employability skills, mental health support, self-employment opportunities, and social integration.
Tailored Futures – an AI-powered platform that connects individuals within the criminal justice system with employers, helping them access job opportunities and rebuild their lives, with the goal of reducing reoffending.
City Hall research conducted in the summer of 2023 highlighted the need for more integrated employment and skills services, which can be enhanced through innovative and human-centered technology solutions.
In addition to the main winners, five runners-up were also awarded £5,000 each in funding, alongside monthly coaching sessions from delivery partner Allia Impact. Their projects aim to help Londoners gain skills for green jobs, enhance CV writing, upskill mothers returning to the workforce, and provide access to job opportunities for young people.
The Mayor’s adult skills programs have already supported over one million learners. As part of his ongoing commitment to boost London’s economy, Khan is focused on ensuring that those furthest from the labour market receive the help they need to develop their skills and secure new or better jobs.
A key aspect of the Mayor’s London Growth Plan is the creation of over 150,000 good jobs by 2028, alongside efforts to raise living standards for all Londoners, support the city’s green transition, and promote prosperity across London and the UK.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “These innovative solutions will help those Londoners struggling to gain the skills they need to move ahead in the job market, ensuring our economy has the talented workforce it needs to thrive.
“In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, increased rents and mortgages and rising energy bills, it is more important than ever for Londoners to get the right employment support, as we continue to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Claudine Adeyemi-Adams, Founder of Earlybird, said: "We are so honoured to be selected for Phase II of the NWD Innovation Challenge. It's real validation for us that the judges, who are experts in employment support and, we hope, future Earlybird users, can see the significant value that our innovation creates. We are really looking forward to deepening our relationships with partners in the GLA network and NWD community and driving greater impact as we scale our solution, particularly for employment support organisations and people who are out of work."
Titi Solarin, Founder of Tailored Futures CIC, said: "We’ve been working on the concept of this app for several years, and it’s incredible to finally see it moving towards the development stage. This app is designed to help people navigate the complexities of reintegrating into the community after involvement with the criminal justice system. I’m beyond excited about the potential impact it will have, making support and opportunities more accessible to those who need it most."
Stephen Carrick-Davies CEO of the Facework Group said: "We have proved that with training and support those with the lived experience of migration can play an important role in supporting other refugees to access better quality work or self-employment. For this to be effective it has to be personalised, human-centric and address wider issues of mental health and integration into the wider community. We are thrilled that Facework has received NWD support for us to now scale our approach and build partnerships with Local Authority job teams and wider stakeholders." Photo by U.S. Embassy London, Wikimedia commons.