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Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1

Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1 is a grant of £150,000 to £250,000 for UK registered micro, small and medium-sized businesses to fund feasibility studies in frontier AI and machine learning. Open, closes 11 November 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 15 Oct 2026.

Feasibility study funding for UK registered SMEs developing frontier artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies with a clear route to defensible scale-up. Part of a three-phase pipeline.

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 11 November 2026 at 11am (10 days)

As stated: Competition closes: Wednesday 11 November 2026 11:00am

Confirmed on the official page

How much

£150,000 to £250,000

Whole fund: £3,100,000, shared between applicants

You put in: 30% of project costs (minimum), depending on business size

Confirmed on the official page

Who can apply

UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply, working alone or as lead organisation, to deliver feasibility studies in frontier AI and machine learning. Projects must cost between £150,000 and £250,000, last 1 to 3 months, and carry out work in the UK.

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

Start a new application through the Find a grant page's 'Start new application' link, or contact Innovate UK.

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 15 Oct 2026. Its details last changed on 15 Oct 2026. No person has checked it, so confirm the details with Innovate UK before you apply.

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