AI grants in the UK
The UK is putting serious public money behind artificial intelligence — from feasibility studies for early ideas to multi-million-pound collaborative R&D. The challenge is that the competitions open and close on their own timelines across several bodies. Subvention tracks them in one place and matches the live ones to your company, with a link to each official source so you can act before the deadline.
Grants change frequently — always confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines with the funder via the linked source. Subvention does not guarantee funding.
Who AI grants are for
Startups and SMEs building AI or machine-learning products, applying AI to a specific sector (health, manufacturing, energy, the public sector), creating datasets, or using AI to accelerate research. Funders generally back UK-registered, active companies and fund a share of eligible project costs — often up to around 70% for smaller companies on feasibility and early-stage work.
Key sources of UK AI funding
Innovate UK is the main route, running competitions from around £25,000 for feasibility studies up to several million for collaborative R&D. Targeted AI programmes have included Frontier AI feasibility funding (typically in the tens of thousands, with a pathway to much larger Phase 2 R&D), BridgeAI to help established sectors adopt AI, and AI proof-of-concept and innovation-loan routes. UKRI research councils fund AI research and partnerships, and Horizon Europe (including the EIC Accelerator) adds European AI and deep-tech funding now open to UK applicants.
What Subvention covers
We index Innovate UK, UKRI, GOV.UK Find a Grant, the British Business Bank and European portals among 49 sources, so AI competitions surface the moment they're live — colour-coded by region and refreshed daily. Because deadlines matter most in this space, every match shows the source and the date we last checked it.
How the matching works
Enter your company name, confirm your sector and what you're building, and tick "AI / R&D". We return a ranked shortlist with a plain-English reason for each match, eligibility ticks, and any risk flags — all linked to the funder's own page. AI is used in Subvention only to enrich descriptions and, optionally, to draft your application answers from your profile for you to review; it is never used to find or invent grants.
Free to search
Search and matching are free. When you're actively applying, one-off passes add deadline reminders, saved grants and an application planning checklist.
Frequently asked questions
- What AI grants are available in the UK?
- UK AI funding comes mainly through Innovate UK (including Frontier AI and BridgeAI programmes), UKRI research councils, and Horizon Europe. Amounts range from feasibility-study grants of tens of thousands to multi-million-pound collaborative R&D. Subvention shows the live ones matched to your company.
- Can a startup get an AI grant?
- Yes. Many Innovate UK competitions are open to early-stage SMEs and fund a large share of project costs, often up to around 70% for feasibility and early R&D. Eligibility depends on your company and project — Subvention flags the fit and links to the source.
- How much can AI grants be worth?
- It ranges from around £25,000 for feasibility work up to several million for large collaborative projects. Confirm the exact amount and intervention rate on each competition's official page.
- Are these grants only for AI companies?
- No — much AI funding targets businesses applying AI to a sector (health, energy, manufacturing, public services), not just AI specialists. Subvention matches on what you want to fund, not just your industry.
- How do I not miss an AI grant deadline?
- Subvention refreshes 49 sources daily and shows the source and last-checked date on every match; one-off passes add deadline reminders for the grants you save.