Innovate UK Frontier AI Funding 2026

Innovate UK’s Frontier AI Discovery programme provides feasibility grants to support early-stage projects in frontier artificial intelligence, machine learning, and foundation models. It aims to validate ideas, build partnerships, and prepare for larger-scale R&D in a potential future Phase 2. The programme offers Phase 1 feasibility funding and may lead to a broader funding pipeline for subsequent development.

Feasibility funding to validate ideas, test business models, and form consortia; potential progression to a larger Phase 2 funding opportunity and collaboration between industry, SMEs, and academia.

Open to UK-registered organizations, AI startups and SMEs, large companies, research institutions, and teams preparing collaborative AI research consortia actively developing frontier AI technologies or advanced machine learning systems.

Applicants submit proposals through the official application portal specified by Innovate UK.