Cyber businesses across the country are set to benefit from a £700,000 fund to help develop people's skills, collaborate and break down local barriers to growth.

The funding, from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has been awarded to Cheltenham-based UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3).

UKC3 will distribute the grant throughout its network of 20 regional clusters of cyber businesses, employers and local organisations which work together to boost the UK's cyber security sector.

The organisation, based at Hub8 in The Brewery Quarter, was established to help cyber security businesses build partnerships and programmes which break down barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and a lack of business support, and provide a focal point for industry stakeholders to engage with.

The fund will be used by the UKC3 to provide opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and funding to help develop skills and spur innovation.

Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Warman announced the new funding at industry event InfoSec.

He said: "Our cyber security sector is already worth £8.9 billion and we're working tirelessly to take its magnificent growth to the next level.

"Our new UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration will help tackle the barriers to growth, boost people's digital skills and give firms a new route to develop their business acumen."

Richard Yorke, UKC3 chair and also a director of the town's cyber networking group Cynam, said: "The UK's thriving cyber sector is recognised as world leading and through greater collaboration, innovation and skills development we have a real opportunity to deliver growth that benefits businesses and individual citizens across the UK.

"This is an exciting and pivotal time for the cyber industry and we encourage organisations to engage with us to drive growth in the sector."

The funding is part of the Government's wider work to develop the UK's strength in cyber as we build back better after the pandemic and improve prosperity and security.