Sovereign AI R&D Procurement: Enabling safe AI agent adoption

What it funds

Produce an evidence-based, operational, and ideally automated risk management approach for CISOs to support risk-based decision- making for specific agents in specific contexts. The risk management approach should include both resilience and cyber security risks. Alternatively, or in addition, develop an evidence- based approach to reducing operational risk of specific agents through architecture, monitoring, and controls, while supporting agentic adoption and innovation at pace. Solutions that support wide-scale adoption, such as those built on open-source frameworks, will be preferred. Challenge owner: National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). 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.