Funding competition aimed at accelerating agentic artificial intelligence (AI) solutions
Businesses can register their interest for the Agentic AI Pioneers Prize, offering up to £1 million to develop AI solutions for advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and the creative industries.
Run by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Innovate UK, the prize will support three standout projects with £250,000 each, with an additional £250,000 awarded to the overall winner.
Successful applicants will be able to test their ideas in real-world settings, supported by funding, expert mentoring, and access to partners such as the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Digital Catapult.
The initiative aims to speed up the use of agentic AI, ie systems that can make decisions and act independently, in key UK industries. Potential applications include smarter drug discovery, factory planning, product design, and creative tools for film, fashion and architecture.
The first stage of this competition is an expression of interest to confirm eligibility. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to move on to a development phase with tailored one-to-one mentoring.
Who can apply
The competition is open to UK-registered businesses of any size, including small and medium-sized enterprises and research organisations. Applicants must have in-house agentic AI capability and keep control of their intellectual property. Organisations can apply on their own or as part of a consortium of up to three partners, led by a UK business.
The deadline for registration of interest is 19 November 2025, at 11am.
Potential applicants can join a briefing webinar on 23 October 2025, or get help to find a project partner from Innovate UK Business Connect.
Find out more and express your interest in applying for the Agentic AI Pioneers Prize.
First published 20 October 2025
