The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology is calling for innovators to enter the Manchester Prize, which has funding up for grabs for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that will accelerate grid decarbonisation. 
A £1 million grand prize will be awarded in spring 2026 but up to 10 solutions will each be supported with £100,000 in seed funding, £60,000 in compute credits and additional non-financial support to develop their solutions and compete for the prize.
The winning solution will demonstrate not only technical innovation but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption, scale and impact. 
Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Professor Paul Monks, said: “We need an ambitious approach to using artificial intelligence across the development, engineering and operation of our energy systems and so I am pleased to see the Manchester Prize recognising that with its dedicated new round on decarbonisation.”
Entries to the second Manchester Prize should demonstrate a use of AI that accelerates the UK’s adoption of clean energy technologies at scale; enables efficient or low-cost operations of clean energy systems; and/or significantly reduces energy demand or optimises energy usage.  Applications could include increasing power outputs from wind and solar farms; co-ordinating the reliability of a decentralised energy network; predicting and integrating dynamic power supplies; increasing energy efficiency across industries and in our homes, and; increasing the resilience of existing infrastructure in a changing climate. 
Entries to the Manchester Prize must be UK-led, however, the teams can include innovators and partners from around the world. To find out more about the Manchester Prize and to enter before 1200 GMT on 17 January 2025, visit manchesterprize.org