Submit Applications for High Growth AI Accelerator Programme (UK)

This opportunity focuses on addressing critical challenges in the construction sector with AI solutions that demonstrate technological innovation and advance the sector’s transformation in the digital era. They are interested in proposals spanning the entire spectrum of the built environment value chain, encompassing areas such as planning and design, construction and engineering, building performance optimisation, and sustainability.

Selected businesses will benefit from collaborating closely with industry players in the sector, access to cloud credits, technical and business expertise, strategic and technical guidance, holistic diagnostics, and tailored support, empowering them to accelerate their product development and readiness.

This programme is the fourth accelerator delivered by Digital Catapult and part of BridgeAI, an Innovate UK national programme that seeks to stimulate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in agriculture, creative, construction, and transport.

Challenges

• They invite innovators to tackle specific commercial challenges, developed in collaboration with industry leaders. Applicants are encouraged to choose a challenge aligned with their expertise.
  • Design and Compliance Challenges, in collaboration with Foster + Partners
  • 3D Construction Printing Challenges, in collaboration with Versarien plc
  • Integration and Collaboration Challenges, in collaboration with Buro Happold
  • Open Industry Challenges

Benefits

• Participants will benefit from computational power, strategic guidance, holistic diagnostics, tailored support, and a showcase platform to accelerate the readiness of their AI/ML solutions.
  • Collaborate with Industry Challenge Owners to address prominent challenges in the construction sector and benefit from their networks and expertise.
  • Subject to availability and third-party terms, access to computational power provided by the Technology Partners.
  • Diagnostic sessions with experts from the Digital Catapult Team and Industry Challenge Owners to address current AI/ML technological, commercial and strategic needs.
  • Hands-on support to accelerate data and product readiness; and to develop and improve product, technical, business and ethical roadmaps.
  • Group sessions covering diverse topics, including data readiness and maturity, regulatory compliance, and ethical best practices.
  • Exclusive demo day to present your progress to industry representatives, potential investors and customers.

Eligibility Criteria

• The programme is inviting applications from UK-registered startups, scaleups and SMEs that:
  • Have have existing or new AI-enabled services or AI-integrated infrastructure solutions that can demonstrate to solve one of the challenges of the call
  • Have strong technical teams
  • Have available data and an immediate need for computation

Selection Criteria 

• Applications will be assessed and scored equally against five criteria. All applications must have an AI/ML use case to take part in the programme but they encourage applications that wish to integrate any other advanced digital technology.
  • Relevance and feasibility
    • The applicant should demonstrate their solution can tackle the challenge selected and the company has the appropriate technical expertise to deliver the solution.
  • Business strategy
    • The applicant should be able to articulate the company’s business model that drives their AI/ML solution implementation and commercialisation.
  • Data and code readiness
    • The applicant should demonstrate that their company has the necessary data ready and has an implementation plan that requires immediate access to computational power.
  • Ethical impact
    • The applicant should exemplify a responsible use and understanding of the impact of their AI/ML solution, and a strong commitment to ethical AI practices.
  • Growth potential
    • The applicant should be capable of identifying clear goals and demonstrating their solution has the potential to scale after the programme.

For more information, visit Digital Catapult.