One To Win: £1mn Pledged To Winning Pitch From West Midlands Start-Up
By East Village
Press Release

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Quick Read: A ground-breaking £1 million pitch competition is launching in the West Midlands, solidifying the region’s position as a powerhouse in the tech sector. Aimed at uncovering the region's most promising start-up business, One to Win is spearheaded by The Rigby Group, SCC, Haatch, and the West Midlands Co-Invest Fund (delivered through Midven, part of Future Planet Capital), and boasts the largest single prize for any pitch competition in the UK.
The brand-new One to Win competition was launched within London Tech Week by TechWM and a cohort of leading stakeholders, at the Mathys and Squire LLP offices in The Shard, London. Applications open on the 1st of July: shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to pitch for the prize during Birmingham Tech Week on Wednesday 23 October with the winner announced two days later on Friday 25 October.
Powered by TechWM, One to Win will showcase the region's vibrant and thriving tech sector on the national stage. The unprecedented £1 million cash injection prize money will be awarded to a West Midlands business that’s demonstrating game-changing innovation and is on track for further impressive growth.
The initiative will also support those from the region who don’t meet the entry criteria, offering alternative support: including opportunities for trade missions; investor connections; access to mentors and workshops; guidance on accelerators and incubators; and links to corporate innovation programmes.
Backed by leading investors, stakeholders, and key tech players, the pitch competition demonstrates the belief in the region’s ability to become a global tech superpower.
Yiannis Maos MBE, CEO of TechWM said:
“The One to Win is the culmination of everything we’re doing to nurture, platform, and develop the fantastic tech scene here in the West Midlands. All parties involved share the belief that the region is the sleeping giant of the tech landscape, and we’ve been working incredibly hard to let the world know what it has to offer.
“Groundbreaking initiatives and competitions like One to Win are brilliant opportunities to further showcase the wonderful work going on in the region, and thanks to the generous backing of our fantastic stakeholders, partners, and sponsors, we’re able to give one talented start-up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive the biggest pitch competition prize in the UK – an incredible step forward for both the worthy winner and the region as a whole.”
Steve Rigby, Co CEO of Rigby Group said:
“The West Midlands has all the qualities needed to become a leading tech powerhouse. My family business, Rigby Group, is the second largest private company in the West Midlands, while our technology business, SCC, is the largest tech company in the region. We are enormously proud of our roots and are delighted to support TechWM and their work to put our home region on the global stage. I very much believe One to Win will shine a light on our home grown tech talent and provide game changing support to the winning business.”
The One to Win competition is open for expressions of interest from 12 June and opens for applications on 1July. To express you interest and to find out more, visit http://www.onetowin.co.uk/
What's new

The State of the West Midlands Digital Skills Ecosystem

Digital skill shortages could have cost the UK £4.4 billion last year alone, with projections escalating to a staggering £27.6 billion by 2030. The West Midlands, in particular, is experiencing increasing demand for intermediate and advanced digital skills - as stated by a recent research from the University of Birmingham’s City-Regional Economic Development Institute (City-REDI). 
While these figures are alarming, they are not surprising. Addressing digital skills shortages in our region represents a significant economic opportunity. With the right interventions, we have the potential to unlock unprecedented growth. 
Nearly five months into my role as Director of Digital Skills and Commercial Impact at TechWM, I’ve had countless conversations with organisations across various sectors. My goal? To understand their immediate and long-term digital skills needs—and, more importantly, why there remains such a stark mismatch between digital skills supply and demand in the West Midlands.
Photo: Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director - Digital Skills & Commercial Impact
Shifting Perspectives on the Digital Skills Gap
Initially, I assumed that this challenge was primarily supply-side: a lack of skilled individuals entering the workforce. However, after deeper exploration, I’ve uncovered significant demand-side barriers that are preventing businesses from fully leveraging digital talent.
Let’s rewind to 2020, when the pandemic forced businesses to adopt digital tools overnight. At that time, the focus was on up-skilling the workforce to ensure employees could use essential platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. There was also a surge in demand for advanced technical skills in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI.
Since then, numerous policy interventions have aimed to boost digital skills. However, these initiatives have often been fragmented, poorly promoted, and disconnected from the businesses that could benefit the most.
The Business Reality: Short-Term Pressures Stalling Long-Term Growth
Today, while the supply of digital talent is improving, external factors such as economic uncertainty and budget constraints are forcing businesses into survival mode. Many organisations, instead of planning for the next three to five years, are focused on making it through the next quarter.
This short-term approach limits investment in digital transformation. Businesses are firefighting rather than strategising—missing out on opportunities to implement AI, automation, and other digital efficiencies that could drive productivity and profitability. Ironically, the very investments that could help businesses cut costs and gain a competitive edge are being delayed due to perceived financial and time constraints.
Photo: Yiannis Maos MBE, Richard Bovey, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Mayor Richard Parker, Vikki Bradney-Spencer, Mike Lattimer, Lauren Monks, David Gaughan
The Disconnect Between Employers and Digital Talent
We know that businesses are struggling to find the right digital talent. Yet, paradoxically, we also know that many skilled individuals—particularly those completing digital skills bootcamps—are struggling to secure relevant employment.
So, what’s going wrong?
1. Do employers simply not know about available training initiatives?
2. Are businesses hesitant to onboard talent that lacks real-world experience?
3. Is it a case of limited resources, where employers can’t afford to train new hires?
Similarly, we see a significant underutilisation of free or heavily subsidised upskilling programs. Despite funding being available, many businesses are not taking advantage of these opportunities. Why? Is it a lack of awareness? Are course costs still perceived as too high? Or is it simply that businesses can’t afford to release staff for training?
Help Us Shape the Future of Digital Skills in the West Midlands
These are just some of the working hypotheses based on the conversations I’ve had so far. But to drive meaningful change, we need more data. That’s why, as part of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium—a collaboration between TechWM, the West Midlands Combined Authority, IBM UK Ltd., AND Digital, In4 Group, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire—we are launching an employer survey.
This survey aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current digital skills landscape, helping us design initiatives that truly meet business needs. By combining this data with insights from previous surveys, such as the Local Skills Improvement Plan, we hope to develop a regional blueprint for digital skills growth—one that drives economic prosperity.
Get Involved
If you’re a business leader in the West Midlands, we need your input. Please take five minutes to complete our
Employer Survey
. Your insights will directly inform new initiatives and interventions to bridge the digital skills gap.
Additionally, we will be hosting a series of workshops to explore these challenges in greater depth. If you’d like to contribute to shaping the future of digital skills in our region, drop me an email on:
vickie@techwm.com
and I’d love to have a chat.  
Together, we can build a stronger, more digitally empowered West Midlands—one that is ready to tackle the challenges of today and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Let’s make tech succeed, in the most human of places! 
By Victoria Pargetter-Garner
24 Feb
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