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BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst: AI for Operational Systems

BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst is a grant of £100,000 to £200,000 for UK small and medium-sized businesses leading AI projects with partner organisations, based in the United Kingdom. Open, closes 8 December 2026.

Run by Innovate UK · funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Checked against the official page (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk) on 28 Oct 2026.

Funds consortia to develop innovative AI deployment use cases in the Operational Systems strand, progressing towards full deployment and replication. The deployer must operate in one of the listed sectors.

Apply or find out more Official page

These details are gathered from public web pages and are not financial advice. Check them with Innovate UK before you apply.

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Status and deadline

Status

Open

Confirmed on the official page

Deadline

Closes 8 December 2026 at 11am

As stated: Opening date: 21 October 2026, 10:00am ... Closing date: 8 December 2026, 11:00am

Confirmed on the official page

How much

£100,000 to £200,000

Whole fund: £5,000,000, shared between applicants

You put in: Lead organisation must account for 40% to 70% of total eligible costs; deployer 30% to 50%; one additional project partner no more than 30%.

Confirmed on the official page

Who can apply

UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can lead a consortium of two or three organisations, which must include one eligible UK registered deployer organisation (a medium or large business or UK public sector organisation in an eligible sector). Academic institutions cannot lead.

Confirmed on the official page

Business size

Micro (under 10 staff), Small (10 to 49 staff), Medium (50 to 249 staff)

Confirmed on the official page

Could your business apply?

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How to apply

Lead organisation invites partners into the Innovation Funding Service; email BridgeAI@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes if unsure about scope or strand.

Not confirmed on the official page

Where it is open: UK-wide

United Kingdom

Confirmed on the official page

HartlepoolMiddlesbroughRedcar and ClevelandStockton-on-TeesDarlingtonHaltonWarringtonBlackburn with DarwenBlackpoolKingston upon Hull, City ofEast Riding of YorkshireNorth East LincolnshireNorth LincolnshireYorkCounty DurhamCheshire EastCheshire West and ChesterNorthumberlandCumberlandWestmorland and FurnessNorth YorkshireBurnleyChorleyFyldeHyndburnLancasterPendlePrestonRibble ValleyRossendaleSouth RibbleWest LancashireWyreBoltonBuryManchesterOldhamRochdaleSalfordStockportTamesideTraffordWiganKnowsleyLiverpoolSt. HelensSeftonWirralDoncasterRotherhamNewcastle upon TyneNorth TynesideSouth TynesideSunderlandBradfordCalderdaleKirkleesLeedsWakefieldGatesheadBarnsleySheffield

Open across United Kingdom, so every council area in the North of England is shaded.

Drawn from the areas the funder names. If a scheme is only for part of a council area, check its own page. Boundaries from the Office for National Statistics.

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Source and last checked

Local Landscape gathers this information automatically from the pages below, then checks the key details against the official page. Checked against the official page (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk) on 28 Oct 2026. Its details last changed on 28 Oct 2026. A person last checked it on 9 Oct 2026, so confirm the details with Innovate UK before you apply.

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