Purpose

On the 28 January 2026 Cabinet adopted the Digital Infrastructure, Inclusion & Innovation Strategy. This Cabinet report outlines the delivery programme of the strategy and seeks approval for the proposed investment allocation across the strategy themes.

Decision

Cllr Julian Tooke presented the delivery programme for the Digital Infrastructure, Inclusion and Innovation Strategy and sought approval for the proposed investment allocation across the strategy themes.

Having considered all of the information, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

a) Note the DIIIS intended four-year delivery programme 2026/27 to 2029/30 outlined in Appendix A.

b) Approve budget commitments for 2026/27 and 2027/28 outlined in Appendix A of the report and note that any further expenditure beyond this date will be subject to future approval through the Council’s governance processes. The exception to this is the awarding of the Digital Inclusion Service Tender which, once awarded in 2026/27, will cover the lifetime of the Digital Strategy until 2030.

c) Delegate authority to the Director of Economy and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business, Economic Development, Planning and Infrastructure, to implement the approved DIIIS delivery and investment plan. This is limited to funding allocations within the approved DIIIS budget and project details. This covers:

•  Refining delivery arrangements.

•  Conducting a competitive procurement process in respect of a three-year contract for the provision of a countywide Digital Inclusion Service. The award of any future contract will be subject to compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, GCC Contract Procedure Rules and approval processes applicable at the time. The procurement route, contract value, market approach and evaluation methodology have been or will be confirmed during project initiation and procurement planning.

•  Awarding such contract to the preferred tenderer following completion of the procurement process.