BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst: AI for operational systems 2026

The BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst is an Innovate UK competition that helps UK AI companies move from pilots into real deployment. This card covers the strand AI for Operational Systems. It is for AI whose main job is to perform, control or coordinate activity inside workflows, processes, software, equipment or infrastructure. Reliable integration and performance must matter to the deployer. Innovate UK will invest up to £5 million in this strand. Funding and support are the same on all three strands.

Each project asks for a grant between £100,000 and £200,000 and runs for three to five months. It must start by 1 April 2027 and end by 31 August 2027. Grant rates are those for feasibility studies, up to 70 percent of eligible costs for a micro or small organisation. This is phase 1 of a possible three phase programme. Phase 2 is expected to last about six months, with an indicative grant of up to £1 million. Phase 3 is expected to last about 22 months, with an indicative grant of up to £2 million.

The lead must be a UK registered SME with an AI or machine learning solution at technology readiness level 5 or 6 and a working minimum viable product. The product may have been piloted, trialled or sold, but it must not already be in wide commercial use for this use case. The team must include one deployer: a UK registered medium or large business, or a UK public sector body. The deployer must work in one of these sectors: health and life sciences, financial services, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, professional and business services, or creative industries. Academic institutions cannot lead.

The competition opens on 21 October 2026 and closes on 8 December 2026 at 11:00am UK time. Applicants are told the result on 1 February 2027. Apply through the Innovation Funding Service. Innovate UK says the work must deal with real deployment problems and go beyond routine setup or configuration. You apply to one strand, based on the main purpose of the AI system, and you cannot move the application later.

Quick answers

Can the lead company enter more than one strand?

No. A UK registered SME can lead only one application across the three strands. A further application with the same lead is ineligible.

How many applications can a deployer join?

A UK registered deployer can join up to three applications across the three strands, if each one is a different deployment use case.

Is later funding guaranteed?

No. This is phase 1. Innovate UK may invite a project to phase 2 and later phase 3. Those later phases are not guaranteed.