Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1

Overview

Innovate UK's Frontier AI: SME Champions Phase 1 competition will invest up to £3.1 million in short feasibility studies for state-of-the-art AI and machine learning. It is the first phase of a three-phase pipeline to back the next generation of UK AI champions, and only successful Phase 1 projects can apply for Phase 2. Frontier AI here means systems that beat state-of-the-art benchmarks or offer genuinely new capabilities, thanks to innovation in model or system architecture, training methods, core learning algorithms or core control algorithms. Projects must show technical feasibility, generate evidence for future scale-up and commercialisation, and end with a technical whitepaper. Projects must have total costs between £150,000 and £250,000, last one to three months, start by 1 April 2027 and end by 30 June 2027. Innovate UK covers up to 70% of costs depending on business size, so the maximum grant is about £175,000. Applications opened on 1 October 2026 and close at 11am on 11 November 2026. Official source: https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/opportunities/frontier-ai-sme-champions-phase-1/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 19 October 2026.