The Agentic AI Pioneers Prize

Overview

Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) have launched a £1 million Agentic AI in Design Prize Fund to accelerate the use of Agentic AI across Advanced Manufacturing, Health & Life Sciences, and the Creative Industries.
This competition rewards innovative applications of Agentic AI that enhance creativity, streamline processes, and strengthen human-AI collaboration in design.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) stage screens organisations for eligibility, technical capability, and intent. Successful applicants will progress to Phase 2, gaining access to tailored mentorship through the Catapult Network to refine their solutions ahead of a final judging round and awards ceremony in March 2026.

Scope

The competition seeks practical, demonstrable applications of Agentic AI for design, capable of real-world deployment in the UK.
Phase 2 participants will develop single or multi-agent solutions addressing one of several sector-specific challenge statements. Submissions must show measurable performance improvements, technical innovation, and UK commercial potential.

Example use cases include:

• Health & Life Sciences: AI for smarter drug discovery, optimised cell and gene therapy development, or rapid material formulation.
• Advanced Manufacturing: AI for factory planning, assurance and validation, or multidisciplinary product optimisation.
• Creative Industries: AI-assisted storyboarding, generative fashion design, or architectural space planning.

Key themes and topics

• Adoption of Agentic AI in design and decision-making
• Human–AI collaboration and co-creation
• AI-driven process automation and optimisation
• Cross-sector application of multi-agent systems
• Commercial readiness and real-world deployment

Project duration

• Expression of Interest closes in 2025
• Phase 2 development runs until March 2026
• Winners announced at an event in March 2026

Award value

Total prize fund: £1 million, awarded as follows:

• £250,000 – Advanced Manufacturing
• £250,000 – Health & Life Sciences
• £250,000 – Creative Industries
• £250,000 – Best overall solution (“best of best”)

No funding is available at the EOI stage.

Funding rates

This is a prize fund, not a grant. Financial awards are paid as cash prizes to the lead organisation following assessment and judging. No project costs are reimbursed.

Eligibility criteria

To apply, applicants must:

• Demonstrate relevant expertise in Agentic AI for design
• Have in-house capability at TRL 4+ and own the IP for core codebases
• Conduct all project work within the UK and intend to exploit outcomes from the UK
• Be a UK-registered business (any size) – single or collaborative applications (max three organisations)
• Ensure consortia include no more than one large organisation

Each business can lead one application and partner on up to two others.