Sovereign AI Larger Programme (£160m)
Sovereign AI Larger Programme (£160m) — Strategic Prize
Strategic prize
Expected to launch late 2026 as a successor to the £9m round. Scope likely broader. Consortium-building should start now even though the call isn't yet open.
Why it fits RAIDT (anticipated)
The larger programme is expected to broaden asset class scope. Possible categories that would fit RAIDT:
- National run-level evidence corpus — multi-sector, anonymised dataset of GenAI runs (positioned as "high-value AI dataset")
- AI assurance infrastructure — methodology + tooling for sovereign capability
- AI standards / measurement reference frameworks — directly linkable to NPL Centre and DSIT roadmap
Without confirmed scope, this is conditional. But assembling the consortium in advance costs little and pays off if scope aligns.
Key parameters (anticipated)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Amount | £1m–£20m+ per award (anticipated tiered) |
| Funding rate | Non-commercial up to 100%; commercial up to 50–70% with private match |
| Match funding | Commercial track only |
| Eligible applicants | UK-registered orgs and consortia |
| Closing date | TBC, likely Q4 2026 |
Consortium scoping (start now)
Lead applicant
- University of Portsmouth (research org track)
Academic partners
- BRAID (Edinburgh) — Profs Luger, Vallor
- UCL Generative Models hub (Prof Barber)
- Alan Turing Institute (AI for Public Services)
Industry partners
- 1 audit firm (PwC if Maria Axente engaged, KPMG, or Deloitte)
- 1 AI vendor (Holistic AI as natural integrator)
Sector partners
- NHS Trust (Imperial / GOSH / UCLH)
- 1 financial sector firm (challenger bank or PRA-regulated insurer)
- 1 public-sector body (Cabinet Office i.AI, NHS Transformation, GDS)
Standards body
- BSI ART/1 observer
- NPL Centre for AI Measurement
Application strategy (anticipated)
- Position as "national run-level evidence corpus" — a strategic dataset that no startup can build alone
- 100% non-commercial track (broader access; standards alignment)
- Multi-sector pilots with named partners committed via signed letters
- Public benefit framing tied to UK AI Action Plan, AI Opportunities Action Plan, DSIT AI Assurance Roadmap
Action plan
Notes
- This is the highest-leverage UK funding opportunity in the 18-month window
- Even if scope doesn't fit perfectly, the consortium assembled becomes useful for other funds (DSIT AI Assurance Innovation Fund, RAi UK Phase 2, Horizon Europe)
- Confirm £160m number via official DSIT channels — referenced in the £9m round announcement