Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems

UK registered SME businesses can apply for a share of up to £1.66 million to deliver experimental validation of prototype AI systems for novel reusable components of efficient, structured and controllable learning systems.

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Contents

Summary

Description

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £1.66 million on industrial research for novel reusable AI mechanisms. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received.

The aim of this competition is to advance the development of novel reusable artificial intelligence (AI) mechanisms that will form the foundations for the next generation of AI and machine learning (ML) systems of the future.

The driving strategic imperative is that future capabilities beyond the current state of the art, require fundamentally different underlying architectures and learning systems to advance beyond current limitations. Resource adaptive learning mechanisms, intervention tested and counterfactual prediction, graph-native learning topologies and representation modelling for scalable primitive learning components are fundamental components for adaptive scalable learning systems.

We will fund UK SMEs to experimentally validate novel AI mechanisms that could underpin future generations of efficient, structured, adaptive and controllable AI systems.

For this competition, novel mechanistic AI means an AI or ML system in which the principal technical advance is attributable to one or more of:

  • a new learning or credit assignment mechanism

  • an adaptive or dynamically reconfigurable architecture

  • a learned causal or intervention grounded model

  • a graph-native or relational computational architecture

  • a compositional representation, skill or operator mechanism

  • a mechanism, model or architecture exerting measurable control over an agent

When an existing frontier model is used, applications must demonstrate that the proposed advance remains technically material above the base model.

The competition is intended primarily for:

  • research intensive AI startups

  • deep tech SMEs

  • university spinouts

  • pre-commercial companies developing proprietary AI technology

Technology readiness level (TRL)

Projects must start at TRL 1, 2 or 3 and we expect projects to be making an advance of 0.5 to 1 TRL during delivery.

Your project must deliver all of the following:

  • a prototype algorithm architecture or subsystem

  • an experimental and validation environment

  • results against named baselines or a hypothesis

  • ablation and negative control evidence

  • a plan for further development

At the end of the project, you will be required to submit a technical whitepaper summarising:

  • technical progress and outcomes: concise description of what was built and learned

  • evidence and validation: quantified results against pre-defined success criteria, test conditions and a clear statement of remaining technical risks and limitations

  • innovation defensibility plan

Subject to Business Case approvals, there might be a second phase of this opportunity. If successful, we will notify you of the conditions and availability of Phase 2. There is no funding currently allocated for Phase 2.

This is phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.

Our experience from similar competitions suggests that you could have 4% chance of success.

We consider a range of factors when determining whether to provide funding to applicants. This includes an assessment of prior conduct, such as any outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI. Such factors may influence the funding decision, potentially resulting in a refusal of funding or an award subject to additional scrutiny.

We also reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions. This may be in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations or broader government funding decisions.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Project size

Your project’s total eligible costs must be between £50,000 and £150,000.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Eligibility

Who can apply

Your project

Your project must:

  • have total costs of between £50,000 and £150,000

  • last between 1 and 3 months

  • start by 1 April 2027

  • end by 30 June 2027

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 work alone your organisation must be a UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME).

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

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are not allowed in this competition.

Number of applications

An eligible organisation can only lead on one application. Any further applications by the same organisation as lead will be made ineligible.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

Previous applications

You cannot use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

We will not award you funding if you have:

Innovate UK may withhold a grant payment at any time if you have any outstanding sums due to us in relation to other projects.

Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable)

This competition provides funding to enterprises using the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme.

The Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme can be viewed on the subsidy database here: SC10780.

This is in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.

EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.

Further Information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.

You must not do anything which could cause a breach of Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.

This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.

This award is classified as a Subsidy which does not form part of your Minimal Financial Assistance or de minimis allowance.

Funding

Up to £1.66 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.

Under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route rules, no more than £3 million can be awarded in the form of a grant to any one enterprise in any one competition.

If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.

For feasibility studies, industrial research, experimental development and innovation support you can get funding for your eligible project costs of:

Category 1: Feasibility studies

Funding available for your eligible project costs of:

  • up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation

  • up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation

  • up to 50% if you are a large organisation

Category 2: Industrial research projects

Funding available for your eligible project costs of:

  • up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation

  • up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation

  • up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.

Objectives

Your proposal

The aim of this competition is to advance the development of novel reusable artificial intelligence (AI) mechanisms that will form the foundations for the next generation of AI and machine learning (ML) systems of the future.

Your project must drive development of a new core AI or ML technology by establishing experimental evidence for a new architecture, learning process, representation or control mechanism.

The technology developed must have the potential to underpin capabilities, products, platforms or services across multiple future applications or markets.

We are looking for applications with a clear route to defensibility, such as protectable IP, proprietary data advantage, specialist know-how or other credible barriers to entry, with a path to scale.

Your project is not required to develop a complete commercial product. You must demonstrate the technical feasibility of the core mechanism, architecture or critical subsystem being developed.

Projects must start at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 1 to 3 at time of application and we expect projects to be able to make an advance by 0.5 to 1 TRL level during project delivery.

Your proposal must demonstrate that AI or ML innovation is the core technical contribution and principal source of any potential competitive advantage you are likely to generate if successful.

Your project must deliver:

  • experimental validation of your hypothesis

  • a clear validation methodology against predefined metrics

  • evidence of technical novelty and a technical asset

  • a scaling rationale for the technology and business model

  • a technical white paper

To be in scope of this competition you must sufficiently describe:

  • the technical novelty and hypothesis driven experimentation statement

  • what technical asset the project will create

  • how it could underpin future products, platforms or services

  • the justification of TRL classification

Portfolio approach

We want to fund a variety of projects across different technologies, markets, technological maturities, themes and research categories. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

Your proposal must fall within one or more of the following themes.

You must focus on at least one specific priority within each theme you select. If your application does not align with the theme and specific priority you select, it will not be sent for assessment.

Theme 1. Resource and data adaptive learning

Learning mechanisms that reduce dependence on large datasets, repeated full model training or unnecessary computation by adapting what information is acquired, retained or updated according to uncertainty, task requirements or expected information value.

You must focus on one of the following priorities:

  • active and probabilistic learning, including uncertainty aware selection of informative data, experiments, simulations or interactions

  • continual and selective learning mechanisms that enable new knowledge or capabilities to be acquired without repeated full model retraining

  • data efficient learning under limited or expensive observations, using probabilistic representations, structured priors or uncertainty to improve learning efficiency

Theme 2. Causal and intervention grounded models

Mechanisms that learn, discover or exploit causal and counterfactual structure to improve generalisation, prediction, intervention selection or decision making when underlying conditions or data generating processes change.

You must focus on one of the following priorities:

  • causal representation learning

  • interventional or counterfactual learning

  • causal discovery under partial observability

Theme 3. Learned modular computation and routing

Learning mechanisms that discover, select, compose or reuse internal computational components, enabling models to dynamically route computation and reuse learned functions across tasks, environments or novel combinations.

You must focus on one of the following priorities:

  • learned modular architectures and computational routing

  • reusable learned functional primitives or subroutines

  • adaptive composition and reuse of learned computational components

Theme 4. Geometric, equivariant and physics structured learning

Learning mechanisms that exploit or discover geometric, symmetry, relational or physical structure to improve data efficiency, generalisation, robustness or consistency beyond what can be achieved by learning these regularities from data alone.

You must focus on one of the following priorities:

  • equivariant or invariant learning architectures

  • geometric and relational learning on structured or non-Euclidean domains

  • physics structured learning, including methods incorporating physical symmetries, constraints, conservation structure or differentiable dynamics

Research categories

We will fund feasibility projects and industrial research projects as defined in the guidance on categories of research.

Projects we will not fund

We are not funding projects that:

  • do not sufficiently provide clear background IP ownership or rights

  • do not sufficiently provide a specific defensibility route

  • do not align with the competition theme and specific priority areas

  • do not sufficiently provide a named baseline with metrics and numeric targets for validation

  • do not provide a falsifiable hypothesis driven experimentation plan

  • do not sufficiently address the scope of the competition

  • are primarily literature review studies, requirement gathering, without substantive experimental research and development,

  • propose routine integration, deployment, orchestration or productisation of existing AI tools or third party models without novel AI or ML development

  • are not delivering measurable and specific objectives

  • are primarily routine integration or deployment of existing AI tools without substantive technical innovation

  • don’t have clear technical novelty and feasibility challenge

  • do not result in defensible foreground IP

  • focus primarily on non-AI or non-ML research and development, including cross-cutting projects

  • focus on prompt engineering, generic agent orchestration, routine Graph Neural Network (GNN) application, passive only agentic layers

We cannot fund projects that are:

  • dependent on export performance: giving a subsidy to an organisation on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of its products to another country

  • dependent on domestic inputs usage: giving a subsidy to an organisation on the condition that it uses a set percentage of UK components in their product

Dates

16 October 2026

Online briefing event: join at 11am

(Briefing slides will be available to download from Supporting Information after the event)

20 January 2027

Applicants notified

1 April 2027

Project start by

How to apply

Text update 7 October 2026: further scoring guidance added to Question 11.

Before you start

You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:

  • that all the information provided in the application is correct

  • your proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria

  • all sections of the application are marked as complete

You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.

What we ask you

The application is split into four sections:

  1. Project details.

  2. Application questions.

  3. Finances.

  4. Project Impact.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

1. Project details

This section provides background for your application and is not scored.

Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.

Application team

Decide which people from your organisation will work with you on the project and invite those people to help complete the application.

Application details

Give your project’s title, start date and duration.

Research category

Select the type of research you will undertake.

Project summary

Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign the right experts to assess your application.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Public description

Describe your project in detail and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This can happen before you start your project.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Scope

To be in scope of this competition you must sufficiently describe:

  • the technical novelty and hypothesis driven experimentation statement

  • what technical asset the project will create

  • how it could underpin future products, platforms or services

  • the justification of TRL classification

If your answer does not sufficiently address how your proposal meets the competition scope, or your project is not in scope, it will not be sent for assessment in line with our General Guidance section: What happens after you have submitted your application.

If your application is not in scope, you will be made ineligible. We will email the lead applicant with the reasons why.

Your answer can be up to 800 words long.

2. Application questions

The assessors will score all your answers apart from questions 1 to 7. You will receive feedback for each scored question. Find out more about how our assessors assess and how we select applications for funding.

You must answer all questions.

You must not include any website addresses or links (URLs) in your answers. Any website addresses or URLs included, will not be viewed or opened.

Question 1. Themes (not scored)

Select one main theme from the specific themes list in the ‘Scope’ section of this competition. You cannot choose more than one.

  • Theme 1. Resource and data adaptive learning

  • Theme 2. Causal and intervention grounded models

  • Theme 3. Learned modular computation and routing

  • Theme 4. Geometric, equivariant and physics structured learning

Question 2. Applicant location (not scored)

You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation.

We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all applicants.

Your answer can be up to 100 words long.

Question 3. Animal testing (not scored)

Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing?

You must select one option:

  • Yes

  • No

We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.

Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.

Question 4. Permits and licences (not scored)

Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project?

We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.

You must select one option:

  • Yes

  • No

  • In the process of being applied for

  • Not applicable

Question 5. International collaboration (not scored)

Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement?

You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement. You must include a list of the names and the countries, any international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in. You must also include details of any service providers.

If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.

Your answer can be up to 100 words long.

Question 6. Export licence (not scored)

You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance.

You must select one option:

  • Yes

  • No

Question 7. Trusted Research and Innovation (not scored)

You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles, including:

  • a list of any dual use (both military and non-military) applications to your research

  • a list of the areas where your project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act

  • whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance and the status of any applications

  • a list of any items or substances on the UK Strategic Export Control List

If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.

We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information at a later date, in line with UKRI TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 8. Intellectual property (IP) position, freedom to operate (FTO) and defensibility

What is your intellectual property (IP) position, what is your freedom to operate, and how will you make the innovation defensible?

Explain, using evidence where possible:

  • background IP and control: what you own and control that underpins the innovation including ownership and any third party rights and constraints

  • foreground IP: what new protectable assets will be created in this project and how you will capture and retain them

  • defensibility map: how advantage will be sustained

  • FTO, licensing and IP risks: key third party IP, open source, data licensing, standards constraints and your plan to assess and mitigate them

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 9. Need, technical development, validation and outputs

What is the business need, technological challenge, or market opportunity behind your innovation?

Explain the:

  • need and state of the art

  • innovation focus and technical objectives

  • development plan and methodology, including what you will build, the methods you will use, and any major technical uncertainties and risks

  • validation plan

  • outputs and progression, including the tangible outputs you will deliver by the end of the project, such as a prototype, demonstrator, results or documentation

Your answer can be up to 800 words long.

You can submit one appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 10. Approach and innovation

What approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be?

Explain:

  • how you will respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identified

  • how you will improve on any similar innovation that you have identified

  • whether the innovation will focus on existing technologies in new areas, the development of new technologies for existing areas, or a totally disruptive approach

  • the freedom you have to operate

  • how this project fits with your current product, service lines or offerings

  • how it will make you more competitive

  • the nature of the outputs you expect from the project, for example, reports, demonstrator, know-how, new process, product or service design, and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You can submit one appendix to support your answer. It can include diagrams and charts. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 11. Team and resources

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Explain:

  • the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be taking

  • examples of performance that demonstrate the team’s ability to successfully deliver research and development requirements

  • experience within the team of developing novel AI technologies, advanced machine learning methods or frontier AI systems, where relevant

  • the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them

  • any roles you will need to recruit for

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

You must submit an appendix containing a CV for each member of the project team in support of your response. Each CV must be no more than one page and should clearly demonstrate the individual’s relevant experience, expertise, qualifications, and role in the proposed project. Where appropriate, CVs may include a brief profile or summary to further demonstrate an individual's suitability and contribution to the project. If you do not submit a CV for one or more members of the project team, the maximum score available for this question will be 5.

The appendix must be submitted as a PDF file no larger than 10MB and must be legible when viewed at 100% zoom.

Question 12. Market awareness

What does the market or markets you are targeting look like?

Describe:

  • the target markets for the project outcomes and any other potential markets, either domestic, international or both

  • the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by references where available

  • the structure and dynamics of the target markets, including customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframes

  • the target markets’ main supply or value chains and business models, and any barriers to entry that exist

  • the current UK position in targeting these markets

  • the size and main features of any other markets not already listed

If your project is highly innovative, where the market may be unexplored, describe or explain:

  • what the market’s size might be

  • how your project will try to explore the market’s potential

For early stage enabling AI technologies where a clearly defined product market does not yet exist, you do not need to provide precise market size forecasts. Instead, you must describe the downstream products, platforms, value chains or technical capabilities that your innovation enables.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 13. Wider impacts

What impact might this project have outside the project team?

Describe and, where possible, measure the economic benefits from the project such as productivity increases and import substitution, to:

  • external parties

  • customers

  • others in the supply chain

  • broader industry

  • the UK economy

Describe and, where possible, measure:

  • any expected impact on government priorities

  • any expected environmental impacts, either positive or negative

  • any expected regional impacts of the project

Describe any expected social impacts, either positive or negative, on, for example:

  • quality of life

  • social inclusion or exclusion

  • jobs, such as safeguarding, creating, changing or displacing them

  • education

  • public empowerment

  • health and safety

  • regulations

  • diversity

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 14. Project management

How will you manage your project effectively?

Explain:

  • the main work packages of your project, indicating the lead partner assigned to each and the total cost of each one

  • your approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms you will use to get a successful and innovative project outcome

  • the management reporting lines

  • your project plan in enough detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones

You must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 15. Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

Explain:

  • the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks

  • how you will mitigate these risks

  • any project inputs that are critical to completion, such as resources, expertise, and data sets

  • any output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical issues and other requirements identified, and how you will manage this

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 16. Added value

How will this public funding help you to accelerate or enhance your approach to developing your project towards commercialisation? What impact would this award have on the organisations involved?

Explain:

  • what advantages public funding would offer your project, for example: appeal to investors, more partners, reduced risk or a faster route to market

  • the likely impact of the project outcomes on the organisations involved

  • what other routes of investment or means of support you have already engaged with and why they were not suitable

  • how any existing or potential investment or support will be used in conjunction with the grant funding

  • what your project would look like without public funding

  • how this project would change the R&D activities of all the organisations involved

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 17. Costs and value for money

How much will the project cost and how does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer?

In terms of your project goals, explain:

  • your total eligible project costs

  • the grant you are requesting

  • how each partner will finance their contributions to your project

  • how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer

  • how it compares to what you would spend your money on otherwise

  • the balance of costs and grant across the project partners

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

3. Finances

Each organisation in your project must complete their own project costs, organisation details and funding details in the application. Academic institutions must use the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) method and upload to IFS to support their costs. This is a replacement to the Je-S form which has now been decommissioned.

For an overview on what costs you can claim, see our project costs guidance. Note this is general guidance, for specific guidance see the eligibility section in this competition. You can also view our application finances video.

4. Project Impact

This section is not scored but will provide background to your project.

Each partner must complete the Project Impact questions before being able to submit the application.

More information can be found in our Project Impact guidance and by viewing our Impact Management Framework video.

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

Assessment

Your application will be reviewed by three independent assessors based on the content of your application and their skills or expertise relevant to your project. All of the scores awarded will count towards the total score used to make the funding decision unless you are notified otherwise.

You can find out more about our assessment process in the General Guidance.

Your submitted application will be assessed against these criteria:

Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems assessor guidance for applicants. .pdf

Supporting information

Background and further information

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities creates enormous opportunities for economic growth, security and geostrategic influence. The AI opportunities Action Plan outlines key priorities that will ensure the UK not only benefits from advancements in AI, but also is home to UK grown national champion AI companies with frontier AI capabilities. This will safeguard the UK’s sovereign access to frontier AI systems and put it in a position to influence the future of AI’s values, safety and governance.

The Sovereign AI Unit has an ambitious mandate to strengthen the UK’s AI capabilities with up to £500 million of funding. It will do this by investing in UK companies, creating and developing UK AI assets and enables and making the UK the partner of choice for Frontier AI companies.

The Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems funding opportunity aligns with the objectives of the Sovereign AI Unit mandate and seeks to inspire ambitious UK businesses to demonstrate innovation capability within principle ability to scale and set the foundations for the creation of the frontier AI systems of the future.

Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme Information

This award is being offered under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme in accordance with section 10(4) of the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Projects funded must meet the following definitions:

Category 1: Feasibility study

The evaluation and analysis of the potential of a project, which aims at supporting the process of decision-making. This is done by objectively and rationally uncovering its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as identifying the resources required to carry it through and ultimately its prospects for success.​

Category 2: Industrial research​

​The planned research or critical investigation that is aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services. It can also be for projects that are aimed at bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes or services. ​

This would include digital products, processes or services, in any technology, industry or sector, including, but not limited to: digital industries and technologies, such as supercomputing, quantum technologies, blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, big data and cloud technologies. ​

Industrial research comprises the creation of component parts of complex systems. It may include the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment or in an environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems as well as of pilot lines. Where necessary, this would be for the industrial research and notably for generic technology validation.​

Briefing recording and slides

Briefing recording and slides will be available to download here after the briefing event.

What happens if you receive a grant offer

If you have passed your initial assessment and have received an email with a grant offer, you will be asked to complete the project setup process on the Innovation Funding Service (IFS). Watch our video on what steps are there before a project starts.

We will ask for information that will allow us to undertake mandatory checks on your organisation and the eligibility of your costs, as well as review the documentation for your project.

You must follow the unique link embedded in your email notification. This takes you to your project's dedicated IFS Set Up portal, where we gather the information required to set up your project, for example, your bank details. Watch our video on how successful applicants receive their funding.

If your application is unsuccessful

If you are unsuccessful with your application this time, you can view feedback from the assessors. This will be available to you on your IFS portal following notification.

Sometimes your application will have scored well, and you will receive positive comments from the assessors. You may be unsuccessful as your average score was not above the funding threshold or your project has not been selected under the portfolio approach if this is applied for this competition.

Support for SMEs from Innovate UK Business Growth service

Innovate UK Business Growth helps innovation focused businesses make the best strategic choices and access the right resources, in order to grow and ultimately achieve scale.

Visit the service’s website to learn about how you might benefit as a winner.

Protecting your innovation

A Secure Innovation campaign has been developed to help founders and leaders of innovative startups protect their technology, competitive advantage, and reputation.

This was developed by UK’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Data sharing

This competition is operated by Innovate UK.

Innovate UK is directly accountable to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with our own policies.

Innovate UK may also share any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application with Innovate UK’s national and regional UK third parties and partners who may contact you. For more information see how we handle grant applicant and grant holder data.

Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.

Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Contact us

If you need more information about how to apply or you want to submit your application in Welsh, email support@iuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.

Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Innovate UK or any of our partners will not tolerate abusive language in any written or verbal correspondence, applications, social media or any other form that might affect staff.