BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst: AI for Operational Systems

Key facts

About this grant

Summary from the official listing on Find a Grant (GOV.UK):

Description

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £5 million in BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst Phase 1.

Across all three phases of the BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst programme, Innovate UK expects to make up to £52 million available. Funding for this phase and subsequent phases is subject to Full Business Case approval by UKRI and a sufficient number of high quality applications.

BridgeAI aims to accelerate the deployment of advanced UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions across key growth sectors in the Industrial Strategy. It will support high potential UK AI micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) to move beyond pilots into trusted, real world deployment, while generating evidence and learning that can support wider commercial adoption.

The overall aim of this competition is to fund the development of innovative AI deployment use cases that can progress through later programme stages towards deployment and replication.

For this phase, we will fund consortia that will undertake and complete the following activities during the project:

• develop a clear, evidence based deployment use case that articulates the value to the deployer
• explain how the system will be used and demonstrate why this solution is the most effective way to address the operational challenge
• assess the readiness of the AI supplier in terms of delivery capacity, standards, regulatory compliance, and technical maturity
• assess the readiness of the deployer in terms of operational, technical, governance, assurance, and regulatory considerations
• obtain letters of support from potential deployers that are not part of the initial consortium but may wish to participate in later phases of the programme
• outline the activities you would undertake, if invited to Phase 2, to assure the AI system for the intended use case and prepare the operational site for deployment
• organise a demonstration of the solution using representative deployer data and systems within a representative operational environment this should take place towards the end of the project

Your project must be led by a UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) that has developed an AI or ML solution relevant to the deployer’s operational context. The solution must have a functioning minimum viable product and evidence of development beyond concept stage. It may have been piloted, trialled or commercially used, but must not already be in widespread commercial deployment for the proposed use case.

The project must address significant unresolved deployment challenges and go beyond routine implementation, configuration or customer delivery.

Your project must include one eligible UK registered deployer organisation that will provide access to the operational setting, users, data, workflows, systems or processes needed to assess the solution’s readiness for deployment.

BridgeAI is funding advanced AI deployment across three strands:

• AI for Decision Critical Systems
• AI for Operational Systems (this competition)
• AI for Assurance and Compliance Systems

The Decision Critical Systems strand supports the deployment of AI systems whose primary purpose is to help people make consequential judgements, recommendations or decisions. These decisions must be considered high risk or could have significant consequences for the deployer or its end users.

The Operational Systems strand (this competition) supports AI systems whose…

Eligibility

Who can apply

Your project

Your project must:

• have a grant funding request of between £100,000 and £200,000
• last between three and five months
• start by 1 April 2027
• end by 31 August 2027

The minimum consortium size for this competition is two organisations: one UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) and one eligible UK registered deployer. You may include no more than one additional organisation, giving a maximum consortium size of three.

For subsequent programme phases, the lead organisation must remain the same throughout. If the deployer organisation drops out, you must provide a replacement. Applicants must provide evidence demonstrating why the new deployer can deliver a similar deployment outcome to that originally intended.

Any organisation receiving funding must carry out its project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK.

Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs.

Lead organisation

To lead a collaborative project, your organisation must be a UK registered SME.

You must:

• have an existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) solution at technology readiness level (TRL) 5 or 6, with a functioning minimum viable product
• demonstrate an innovative and substantive use of advanced AI or ML capability
• have a minimum viable product that may have been piloted or trialled, but is not already commercially deployed in the proposed use case
• intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK
• be willing to participate in subsequent programme stages if invited

The lead organisation must account for between 40% to 70% of the project’s total eligible costs.

More information on the different types of organisations can be found in our Funding rules.

Academic institutions cannot lead.

Deployer organisation

Your project must include one UK registered deployer organisation.

The deployer organisation must:

• be a UK registered medium or large business or a UK based public sector organisation
• operate in an eligible sectoral focus area
• provide a meaningful operational setting for the proposed deployment
• account for betw

Details are copied from the official source and can change. Check the official listing before you apply. Grant Writing Company is not affiliated with this funder.