BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst: AI for Operational Systems

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 primary purpose is to perform, control or coordinate operational activity within workflows, processes, software, equipment or infrastructure. Reliable integration and performance must be important to the deployer’s operations. The Assurance and Compliance Systems strand supports AI systems whose primary purpose is to monitor, test, verify, validate or evidence compliance. This includes assessing whether systems, processes or outcomes meet defined regulatory requirements, standards or controls for its intended use. Lead applicants must apply to one strand based on the primary purpose of the AI system within the proposed deployment context. Funding and support are the same across all three strands. It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your application to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application, and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope. This is phase 1 of a potential 3 phase competition. At the end of Phase 1, Innovate UK will review each project to decide whether it will be invited to apply for Phase 2. The review will consider: • whether the project has been delivered against its agreed scope, milestones, timescales and costs • the level of engagement and commitment from the project partners, including the AI supplier and deployer • whether the project has engaged with Innovate UK, monitoring services and programme delivery partners, including required reporting and assessment activities Innovate UK will

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 between 30% and 50% of the project’s total eligible costs For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance . The deployer will be expected to: • work with the lead applicant to develop the deployment use case and assess readiness for future deployment • provide access to the relevant users, data, workflows, systems, processes or operational environment needed for the project • contribute to identifying technical, operational, commercial, governance and assurance requirements • be willing to participate in subsequent programme stages if invited The deployer must operate in one of these sectors: • Health and life sciences • Financial services • Advanced manufacturing • Clean energy industries • Defence • Professional and business services • Creative industries These sectors are defined in line with the UK Industrial Strategy 2025 . You should review the relevant sector definition before applying. Innovate UK will assess whether the proposed deployment falls within scope. Project team To collaborate with the lead and deployer organisation, your organisation must be a UK-registered: • business of any size • academic institution • research organisation • research and technology organisation (RTO) • charity • not for profit • public sector organisation • non-governmental organisation (NGO) Your consortium can include no more than one additional project partner, which must account for no more than 30% of the project’s total eligible costs. Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in the IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application. To be an eligible collaboration you must explain why you’re collaborating and how the collaboration will work Non-funded partners Your project can include organisations who do not claim any funding for their work on the project. Their costs will be covered from their own resources. These can include UK, EU and other non-UK organisations. Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit the results outside the UK. Where non-funded partners have been invited to the application on IFS, their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs. Subcontractors Subcontractors are not allowed in this

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 • that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs) 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: • Project details. • Application questions. • Finances. • 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 organisations will work with you on your project and invite people from those organisations 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 Your answer must explain: • how your use of AI is innovative and involves a meaningful application of advanced AI or ML capability • how the AI capability is central to the proposed deployment • how the deployer and proposed deployment are aligned with the sector you have selected • how the proposed use case clearly aligns with the primary purpose of the strand you have selected • what technical, operational, regulatory or assurance challenges are associated with deployment • how t