Innovate UK has published a £5 million BridgeAI competition for artificial intelligence systems designed to perform, control or coordinate operational activities. Applications for the Operational Systems strand open on 21 October 2026 and close at 11am on 8 December. The funding initially supports assessments and demonstrations needed to prepare an existing AI product for deployment, rather than the immediate installation of fully operational systems.
Projects must be led by a UK-registered AI small or medium-sized enterprise with an existing AI or machine learning product at technology readiness level five or six. The supplier must work with an eligible UK-registered medium or large organisation, or qualifying public sector deployer, that intends to use the technology. A third partner may participate, but each consortium is limited to two or three organisations.
Phase 1 grants range from £100,000 to £200,000 for projects lasting three to five months. Successful work must begin by 1 April 2027 and finish by 31 August. Under the competition’s cost-sharing rules, the AI supplier accounts for 40% to 70% of eligible project costs, and the deploying organisation for 30% to 50%. This places both technical development and the practical needs of the intended user within the funded project.
Advanced manufacturing and clean energy are among the eligible sectors. The Operational Systems strand covers AI that acts within a process, workflow, equipment system or infrastructure, distinguishing it from the related BridgeAI competitions for decision-critical applications and assurance or compliance. Applicants must select the strand corresponding to what their technology principally does.
Phase 1 work includes testing the suitability of the proposed use case, the supplier’s delivery capability and the system’s technical maturity. Partners must examine access to operational data, the deployer’s infrastructure and relevant requirements for assurance, governance and integration. A demonstration towards the end of the project must use representative deployer data and systems in a representative operational environment.
The programme anticipates further, separately approved funding phases. Selected Phase 1 projects could seek a second phase lasting around six months, with indicative grants of up to £1 million to support integration preparation and additional assurance work. A further phase could fund live deployment with the first user and replication in two other settings, with indicative support of up to £2 million over approximately 22 months. Both later stages are conditional on programme approvals, project selection and other funding requirements.
The wider BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst programme has a proposed funding envelope of up to £52 million, subject to further approvals; the present Operational Systems competition has a £5 million allocation. No award recipients or installed industrial applications have been announced. Applicants must submit their proposals by 8 December for the initial readiness phase.
