Field
A technical or business role in digital technology, such as development, engineering, data science, or commercial, investment or product work in a technology company.
Open methodology
UK Global Talent criteria map for digital technology
This map helps turn experience into testable propositions before a bundle is prepared. It does not replace the endorsing body's rules or turn document counts into an approval forecast.
Checked against GOV.UK on 27 August 2026Test the route framework first
Level
Exceptional Talent means an established leader. Exceptional Promise means a potential leader; GOV.UK says these applicants are likely to have less than five years of experience in technology, although their wider career may be longer.
Core proposition
The applicant must show recognition by others as a leader or potential leader in digital technology during the last five years.
Evidence map
Recognition plus at least two further grounds
No activity succeeds automatically. The record should establish personal contribution, quality of the outcome, independent context and a clear link to the selected ground.
| GOV.UK ground | Facts to look for | What commonly weakens the evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation as a founder or senior executive of a product-led company | A new solution, the applicant's creation role, verified implementation and commercial or sector outcome | A start-up name, generic innovation language or another person's result without personal contribution |
| Innovation as an employee in a new technology field or concept | An unusual technical or product problem, the applicant's decisions and a verifiable effect | Ordinary duties, an NDA without acceptable external support, or only an employer letter |
| Contribution to the digital sector outside work | Mentoring, collaborative projects, open source, a professional community or other activity with a genuine outcome | Nominal membership, a one-off activity or participation without evidence of impact |
| Significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contribution to a product-led company | Product or business scale, the applicant's precise role, before-and-after metrics and independent sources | A description of the company instead of the applicant's achievement, or figures without a source and context |
| Published research or expert endorsement of research | The research question, authorship contribution, quality of the venue, citations, application or assessment by an established expert | The bare fact of publication without quality, contribution, outcome or a digital-technology link |
Bundle architecture
Up to 10 evidence documents
At least two should show recognition as a leader or potential leader. At least four more should support two selected further grounds, using two documents for each.
One document, one ground
GOV.UK states that the same piece of evidence cannot be used for more than one criterion.
CV
A typed CV of up to three A4 sides, including relevant publication history.
Three recommendation letters
Different examples of achievements and contribution; authors must be established experts who have known the applicant's work for at least 12 months. Each letter is written for the Global Talent application.
Technology-business connection
A founder or senior executive in the last five years also provides proof of that connection, such as sales, customer and accounting records.
Working method
How we use the map
- 01
Define the proposition
What the assessor should understand and which ground the fact is meant to support.
- 02
Separate the sources
An internal document establishes the role; an independent source establishes context, scale or recognition.
- 03
Reconcile contradictions
Dates, titles, metrics and accounts of the same event should agree across the record.
- 04
Build a gap plan
Where evidence is not ready, define genuine professional activity over 3–12 months and a method for recording its result from the outset.
Primary sources
Official sources
Requirements can change. Re-check the current GOV.UK pages and endorsing-body guidance before filing.
Your profile
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