About the prize

The Agentic AI Pioneers Prize is designed to unlock the transformative potential of agentic AI across the UK’s most dynamic sectors. By encouraging innovation in advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and the creative industries, this prestigious national competition seeks to position the UK at the forefront of next-generation artificial intelligence.

The competition invites UK-registered businesses of any size to present groundbreaking solutions to tackle sector challenges and compete for a share of a £1 million prize pot. Through active participation, entrants will reinforce the UK’s reputation as a trailblazer in AI-driven design and technology.

Winners will be awarded a distinguished prize fund, specifically established to honour and showcase exceptional advancements in agentic AI. This recognition offers significant national exposure, providing a platform for winners to highlight their achievements.

Successful applicants will have exclusive opportunities to pilot their AI solutions within real-world industry supply chains, supported by funding to both pilot and scale their innovation. Additionally, recipients will benefit from expert mentorship provided by High Value Manufacturing, Digital Catapult, and leading figures in both AI and their respective sectors.

This is a unique chance for innovators to gain national recognition, build valuable connections with peers, challenge owners, and AI specialists, and help shape the future of AI within advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and the creative industries.

Programme structure

The competition is organised across three pivotal sectors:

  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Health and life sciences
  • Creative industries

For each sector, expert groups comprising challenge owners and AI specialists will define targeted challenge statements. Entrants will propose solutions to these real-world challenges, ensuring the competition drives meaningful industry impact.

This initial Expression of Interest (EOI) stage is designed to assess eligibility only. Applicants who meet the criteria will be invited to a Development Phase (Phase 2), where they can access one-to-one mentorship to assist with solution development.

UK-registered SMEs and research organisations are eligible to apply either as sole applicants or as part of a collaborative team comprising up to three organisations, to develop innovative agentic AI solutions. To be eligible to participate, you must

  • Be led by a UK-registered business.
  • Hold in-house agentic AI capability, with IP control of the core codebase.
  • Demonstrate relevant expertise in agentic AI, particularly in its application to design settings.
  • Commit to carrying out all participation activities within the UK and intend to exploit the results in or from the UK.

Finalised challenge statements will be shared with teams selected from those who have expressed interest. Sample challenge statements for the Creative Industries include:

  • Generative storyboarding assistant
    AI interprets scripts or briefs and autonomously generates visual storyboards, suggesting camera angles, scene compositions, and transitions.
  • Fashion design co-creator
    AI proposes garment styles, materials, and patterns based on mood boards, trend data, and sustainability goals.
  • Architectural space planning
    AI suggests floor plans that meet your brief and improve daylight, flow, and usable space.

A briefing webinar will be held on 23 October 2025 at 10:00 am. Click here to register for a place.

Find out more and apply. Deadline for expression of interest: 11am, 19 November 2025.