Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026
Up to £25,000 equity free for early stage agentic AI tools that researchers can trust, open to anyone worldwide. Applications close October 5, 2026.
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 opened for applications on September 1, 2026. This year's theme is "Agentic Workflows You Can Trust". The grant funds early stage tools that make AI agents safe to put in front of a research institution, with autonomy, provenance, governance and accountability built in.
Digital Science awards up to £25,000, equity free. The amount may be divided among several recipients. The grant is international and has no geographic restrictions.
Anyone with an early stage idea can apply: founders, research teams, students and individuals. Revenue, a finished product or a complete business plan are not required. A prototype, a working product or a well formed concept is enough.
Applicants submit a single form with a proposal of at most 1,500 words under nine set headings. Strong candidates are invited to short interviews with live demos where applicable. Applications close on Monday, October 5, 2026 at 17:00 BST. Judging runs from October 12 to November 20, and winners are announced in the week of November 30.
Digital Science looks for agentic AI tools that work across several steps, sit inside existing workflows and include audit trails and governance controls. Problem areas include research writing, discovery, evidence synthesis, peer review, funding decisions and research integrity. Questions go to catalyst@digital-science.com.