Innovate UK (IUK) BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst

Funding Amount

Across all three phases of the BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst program, IUK expects to make up to £52 million available.

The three phases include:

• AI for Decision Critical Systems

• AI for Operational Systems

• AI for Assurance and Compliance

Projects must have a grant funding request of between £100,000 and £200,000 and last between three and five months.

The intervention rate percentage that applicants can claim will depend on business size. The following intervention rates are available for feasibility study projects:

• Up to 70% of eligible project costs for micro or small organizations

• Up to 60% for medium-sized organizations

• Up to 50% for large organizations

Eligible Applicants

For all three phases, the minimum consortium size for this competition is two organizations:

• One UK registered micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (SME)

• One eligible UK-registered deployer

You may include no more than one additional organization, giving a maximum consortium size of three.

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 trialed, 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 program stages if invited

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

Your project must include one UK-registered deployer organization.

The deployer organization must:

• Be a UK-registered medium or large business or a UK-based public sector organization

• 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

Eligible Activities

Activities differ depending on which phase is applied to:

• AI for Decision Critical Systems – for solutions that support consequential judgements, recommendations, or decisions.

• AI for Operational Systems – for solutions that perform, control, or coordinate operational activity.

• AI for Assurance and Compliance – for solutions that monitor, test, verify, or evidence compliance with requirements, standards, or controls.

Program Deadline

December 8, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (GMT)