Funding competition from Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
Sovereign AI R&D Procurement: AI for a more productive NHS
- Opening soon
- Businesses can apply
- UK-registered applicants
- SMEs only
- Funder
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Kind
- Funding competition
- Each contract
- Up to £10 million
- Opens
- 14 November 2026in 2 weeks
- Next deadline
- 17 December 2026in 7 weeks
What it funds
Build systems that unlock NHS productivity at scale, whether automating workflows, coordinating care, or supporting decision-making across services. Reduce cost, free capacity, and improve staff experience while delivering measurable system-wide efficiency gains, aligned to the ambition of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. Challenge owner: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Sovereign AI R&D Procurement Scheme. Contracts of £250,000 to £10 million, most around £1 million to £3 million; suppliers keep their IP. For UK-registered startups and SMEs only. Batch 2 opens 14 November 2026; submit proposals by 31 December 2026 (outcome 29 January 2027). Join the Approved Supplier List first: send the expression of interest by 17 December 2026, two weeks before the deadline. Not on Find a Tender: the scheme uses the R&D exemption in the Procurement Act 2023.
From the Sovereign AI Fund listing.
Who can apply
- Applicants must be registered in the UK.
- Small and medium-sized businesses only.
Key dates
- Opens14 November 2026in 2 weeks
- Expression of interest by17 December 2026in 7 weeks
- Batch 2 closes31 December 2026in 2 months
Dates as the Sovereign AI Fund listing gives them. Relative dates count from 26 October 2026.
All open funding competitions and grants · Tender Radar first saw this call on 24 October 2026 and last read its listing on 25 October 2026. Page as of 26 October 2026.