How to apply for digital transformation funding: a guide for homecare providers

Digital transformation funding is still available for homecare providers in England looking to move away from paper-based systems - and with the Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme now having reached 80% digital adoption across the sector, there's never been a better-supported time to make the switch. If you run a CQC-registered homecare agency and haven't yet gone digital, or are considering switching to a better system, this guide explains what funding is available, whether you qualify, and how to work through the application process without getting lost in the bureaucracy.

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The process is more straightforward than most providers expect -- but it does require you to meet a few specific criteria upfront, choose from an approved list of software suppliers, and follow your local Integrated Care System's (ICS) procedures. Get those three things right and the path to funding is clear.

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What is the Digitising Social Care programme?

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The Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme is a government initiative managed by NHS England to support adult social care providers in England to adopt digital ways of working. Its central goal is to replace paper-based care records with secure, standardised digital systems that improve safety, support better information sharing across health and care, and reduce the administrative burden on care teams.

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The programme has invested significantly in helping providers make the switch, with funding channelled through local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to individual care organisations. By December 2025, the DiSC programme reported that 80% of adult social care providers had adopted digital social care records - a landmark that reflects how widespread the shift has become. For the providers who haven't yet made the move, funding support remains a priority, and the programme continues to direct resources towards full digitisation across the sector.

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For homecare agencies specifically, going digital means more than compliance. It means care professionals arriving at visits with up-to-date information on their phones, managers spotting concerns in real time, and inspectors finding clear, timestamped evidence of the care you're delivering. The CQC's Single Assessment Framework increasingly expects providers to demonstrate quality through digital evidence -- making a digital care record system a practical necessity, not just a nice-to-have.

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Who qualifies for digital transformation funding?

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To be eligible for digital transformation funding through the DiSC programme, your organisation needs to meet a set of core criteria. These are set at a national level, though your local ICS may apply additional requirements, so it's always worth checking the specific conditions in your region.

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The national eligibility requirements are:

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CQC registration for adult social care in England. You must be a registered adult social care provider operating in England. Providers outside England, or those registered only for children's services, are not covered by this programme.

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Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) compliance. You need to have completed the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit and achieved at least a 'Standards Met' status. The DSPT demonstrates that your organisation handles personal data securely and in line with NHS requirements. If you haven't completed it yet, the Digital Care Hub offers free support and guidance to help you get there, including a Data Policy Builder tool designed specifically for social care providers.

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Choosing from the Assured Solutions List. Funding can only be used to purchase a digital social care records (DSCR) solution that appears on the Assured Solutions List - a curated list of software suppliers that have been assessed and approved by NHS England against defined standards for data security, functionality, and interoperability. This protects providers from investing in systems that won't meet regulatory expectations, and it ensures that the software you choose can connect with wider health and care data infrastructure.

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Some ICSs also ask for evidence of digital readiness, such as completion of digital skills training within your organisation. You may also need an active NHSmail account. Your local DiSC lead will confirm exactly what applies in your area.

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How funding is distributed and what it can cover

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Funding for digital social care records is distributed locally through ICSs, which means the amount available and the conditions attached will vary depending on where you operate. Some ICSs have covered 100% of the core software costs for the first year; others have offered a proportion, such as 50%. The only way to know what is available to you right now is to contact your regional DiSC programme lead directly.

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It's important to understand what the funding can and cannot be used for. In most cases, it covers the cost of the core digital social care records software. Additional modules or features such as rostering or invoicing tools may not be covered by the grant, even if they are available through the same supplier. Any costs associated with upgrading your infrastructure, such as improving WiFi connectivity to support mobile working, are typically outside the scope of the standard grant, though some ICSs offer separate IT infrastructure support. Again, your DiSC lead will be able to confirm what applies locally.

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When you're comparing systems on the Assured Solutions List, it's worth getting a full twelve-month quote that covers only what the funding will pay for, alongside a separate breakdown of any additional features you want to include. This keeps your grant application clean and your own costs transparent.

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How to find your regional DiSC contact

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Your first practical step is to identify and contact the DiSC programme lead for your region. Each ICS has a dedicated contact responsible for supporting care providers through the funding and digitisation process. They can tell you what funding is currently available, the timescales for applying, and whether there are any local requirements beyond the national criteria.

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You can find a directory of regional DiSC contacts through the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Fund page on the Digital Social Care website. If you're unsure which ICS covers your area, NHS England's ICS directory can help you identify the right organisation. Getting in touch early matters - some regions operate on a first-come, first-served basis or have application windows, so waiting until you have chosen a supplier before making contact could mean missing out.

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The digital transformation funding application process, step by step

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Once you have confirmed your eligibility and made contact with your local DiSC lead, the application process follows a clear sequence. The steps below reflect the typical pathway, though the detail varies by region.

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Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest. Your DiSC lead will provide an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to complete. This signals your intent to apply for funding and allows the ICS to confirm your eligibility and place you in the queue.

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Step 2: Confirm your eligibility. The ICS will check that you meet the criteria - CQC registration, DSPT compliance, and readiness to adopt a system from the Assured Solutions List. If your DSPT is not yet complete, this is the point at which to prioritise it before progressing.

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Step 3: Research and shortlist suppliers. Browse the Assured Solutions List to identify systems that meet your needs. The DiSC website also has a decision tool to help you match your organisation's requirements to appropriate solutions. Arrange demonstrations from two or three suppliers and collect written quotes covering a twelve-month period. Our guide to the best care management platforms for UK homecare can help you think through what to look for before you start those conversations.

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Step 4: Choose your supplier and obtain a formal quote. Once you have evaluated your options, confirm your preferred supplier and request a full twelve-month quote. This quote will form part of your grant application.

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Step 5: Complete the grant application form. Your DiSC lead or ICS will provide the grant application form. You will need to include your bank details and attach the supplier quote. Complete and submit this as promptly as possible.

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Step 6: Sign the Memorandum of Understanding. If your application is approved, you will receive a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the ICS. This document sets out the terms of the grant, including any reporting obligations. Sign and return it promptly to avoid delays.

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Step 7: Place your order with the supplier. With the MOU signed, you can formally place your order with the chosen digital system provider.

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Step 8: Plan and begin implementation. Work with your supplier to plan the rollout. A good supplier will provide structured onboarding support. Once implementation is underway, submit the supplier invoice to the ICS to trigger the transfer of funds.

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The entire process from EOI to going live typically takes a few months, depending on how quickly your ICS processes applications and how prepared your organisation is at each stage. Starting the DSPT early and having your requirements clearly defined before you approach suppliers will save you significant time.

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What to look for when choosing a digital care management system

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The Assured Solutions List gives you confidence that any system on it meets minimum standards for security and functionality. But within that list, there is a meaningful range of platforms with different capabilities, pricing models, and levels of support. Choosing carefully now will save you a migration headache later.

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Look for a platform built specifically for homecare. Generic care management tools designed for residential settings often do not map well to the realities of domiciliary care - mobile working, visit scheduling, travel time, and medication administration across multiple clients. A system designed from the ground up for homecare will be more intuitive for your carers and more relevant to your regulatory obligations.

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Consider what you need beyond basic care records. The funding covers digital social care records, but your operational needs extend further. A platform that integrates rostering, finance, eMAR, and auditing in one place will reduce the number of systems your team has to manage and eliminate the errors that come from data sitting in separate tools. If you're likely to want those additional features, it's worth understanding the total cost of the platform you're choosing, not just the core funded element. Our guide on what is a digital social care record system walks through the key capabilities to evaluate.

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Assess the supplier's support model. Implementation is where many digitisation projects stall. A system that is technically excellent but poorly supported during rollout will undermine adoption by your care team. Ask prospective suppliers how they handle onboarding, what training they provide, and how they support you once you're live. References from other homecare providers are a reliable indicator of what the experience is actually like.

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Check for NHS interoperability. Systems on the Assured Solutions List meet a baseline for data security and integration, but not all are equal in how well they connect with NHS systems. If you work closely with GPs, district nurses, or community health teams, a platform with NHS GP Connect access will add operational value beyond compliance.

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Birdie: an NHS-assured solution built for homecare

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Birdie is listed on the NHS Assured Solutions List and is available through the Dynamic Purchasing System, which means it can be procured using digital transformation funding from your ICS. As a platform built specifically for domiciliary care, Birdie integrates care management, rostering, finance, eMAR, and auditing in a single system - meaning your office team and your care professionals are always working from the same information.

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For care managers, Birdie's Agency Hub provides real-time visibility of care delivery, alerts when visits are at risk, and a clear audit trail to support CQC inspections. The Birdie Carer App puts care plans, medication schedules, and task lists on carers' phones, so they can complete visits accurately without relying on paper. For families, the Care Circle app provides secure access to information about their loved one's care -- a feature CQC inspectors view favourably as evidence of person-centred practice.

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Birdie's eMAR module is connected to the NHS database of medications (dm+d), which reduces transcription errors and ensures medication records are accurate. The finance module handles invoicing, payroll calculations, and contract management across multiple funders -- removing a significant administrative burden from small office teams.

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Providers who have made the switch to Birdie consistently point to the quality of onboarding support as a deciding factor. You can read about how RV Extra Care switched to digital with Birdie's support and how Azure Care used Birdie to achieve a CQC Outstanding rating. For a broader view of your options, our comparison of the best care management platforms sets out how leading systems compare across the criteria that matter most to homecare providers.

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The funding process for digital transformation is navigable - but it rewards preparation. Before you start, confirm your DSPT is complete or underway, get clear on your operational requirements, and reach out to your local DiSC contact to understand what is available in your region right now. Once those foundations are in place, the path from expression of interest to implementation is well-defined.

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If you're weighing up which system to choose, Birdie is worth a conversation. As an NHS-assured platform on the Assured Solutions List, it's eligible for funding - and as an all-in-one homecare platform, it's designed to support your operation well beyond the basics of digital care records. Book a demo with the Birdie team to see how it works in practice, and to get guidance on what the funding process looks like for providers in your area.

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