Frontier AI Discovery
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2.5 million to develop feasibility studies for frontier AI and foundation models.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest a minimum of £2.5 million on Frontier AI. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation and is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received. The aim of this competition is to advance the development of frontier Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and foundation models in the UK.
This competition has 2 phases; the second phase will be available to successful applications from Phase 1. Innovate UK will invest a minimum of £50 million for development of Frontier AI demonstrator projects in Phase 2, delivered by collaborative consortia. Funding for Phase 2 is subject to Business Case approvals.
The Frontier AI R&D Consortia programme aims to accelerate and deliver novel UK-led AI capabilities. The programme is bringing together large scale consortia, to develop foundation models and frontier AI solutions aligned with one of the four missions:
- AI-Enabled Health and Life Sciences: Making the UK the best place to develop and deploy AI across medicines discovery, development and manufacturing, predictive healthcare applications, and clinical trials.
- Advanced Materials with AI: Building a world leading AI-first materials R&D capability spanning aerospace, net zero technologies, defence materials, semiconductors.
- Secure AI for National Security and Defence (NS&D): Enabling the UK’s defence sector to become a leading integrator of secure AI-enhanced command and control and AI enabled sensors.
- Fundamental AI: Advancing Foundation Model AI capabilities that can underpin multiple sectors and future applications.