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Sovereign AI Visa Reimbursement Scheme

The Sovereign AI Visa Reimbursement Scheme is a grant of £500 to £151,650 that repays visa fees for international staff hired into UK research and development roles, for AI companies in the UK backed by Sovereign AI. Open, closes 31 March 2030.

Run by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Sovereign AI

Checked against the official page (find-government-grants.service.gov.uk) on 5 Oct 2026.

Reimbursement of visa-related fees for international hires into UK-based R&D roles for AI companies supported by the Sovereign AI Fund.

Apply or find out more Official page

These details are gathered from public web pages and are not financial advice. Check them with Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade before you apply.

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Status and deadline

Status

Open

Not confirmed on the official page

Deadline

Closes 31 March 2030 at 12 noon

As stated: 31 March 2030, 12:00pm (Midday)

Not confirmed on the official page

How much

£500 to £151,650

Whole fund: £7,900,000, shared between applicants

Not confirmed on the official page

Who can apply

Companies that have received Sovereign AI equity investment or other support from Sovereign AI (compute access, strategic assets grants or R&D procurement contracts). Non-portfolio companies must demonstrate strategic fit through alignment with Sovereign AI focus areas, commercial potential, UK-anchoring and active or imminent UK R&D programme.

Confirmed on the official page

Business size

Any size

Not confirmed on the official page

Could your business apply?

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How to apply

Portfolio companies must confirm their status and consent to scheme conditions via the Sovereign AI Website. Non-portfolio companies must submit an application via the online application form. Once approved, specific reimbursement claims can be submitted via FlexiGrant after the visa has been granted, fees have been paid, and the worker has started in the eligible UK-based R&D role.

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 (find-government-grants.service.gov.uk) on 5 Oct 2026. Its details last changed on 5 Oct 2026. No person has checked it, so confirm the details with Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade before you apply.

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