UKRI launches new competitions worth £7m to back AI innovation

SMEs developing AI solutions could receive a share of £7 million as government-backed UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) launches two new competitions.

The first is backed by £5 million in funding and will work as a feasibility study for a range of solutions which address business challenges faced by the industry, enabling them to take advantage of AI’s transformative opportunities.

These solutions could include the use of data to drive forward decision making, automating administrative tasks to free up more time for an organisation’s workforce, and refining how supply chains are sourced and managed.

Last month, UKRI held an in-person workshop event and online briefing session in the runup to the competition, which closes on Wednesday 8 May.

Applicants can put forward a range of responsible and trustworthy AI solutions designed to ramp up productivity, which would be worked on in collaboration with either another small business or an academic institution.

The second competition is open to 100 projects which have previously received funding and are invited once again to apply for a share of £2 million.

Successful projects have included an AI-powered cloth recycling tool for use in the fashion industry, AI solutions which help fire and rescue services across the country move their fleets towards net zero, and new solutions to detect and predict diseases in grape crops.

Viscount Camrose, minister for AI and intellectual property, said: “AI is the defining technology of our generation, and we’re backing businesses and academia to work hand-in-glove to bring the next wave of brilliant AI innovations to life.

“These competitions are further evidence of our commitment to pursuing a pro-innovation approach to AI, which sits at the heart of our plans for how we can safely and successfully manage this technology.

“There can be no doubt that AI is a technology which demands a team effort, whether that’s in our approach to safety, or exploring how we can harness its incredible opportunities.

“By working together, we can tap into the enormous potential of AI to ramp up productivity and deliver transformative change.”

Dr Kedar Pandya at UKRI added: “These two new competitions, funded through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund, will help to develop novel AI solutions to boost productivity across many of the UK’s high-growth sectors.

“By bringing together businesses and research organisations through these funding opportunities, we’re helping to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies and deliver benefits to our society and the UK economy.

Further details and support for applicants filling out the online application page can be found here.