What you can win
The Manchester Prize provides a range of support to finalist teams, designed to give each team the greatest possible chance of success and to enable them to develop their solutions as rapidly and effectively as possible, regardless of whether they win the grand prize.
Challenge prizes support open innovation with a level playing field for established and previously untested innovators alike, enabling the most promising ideas to progress with funding and expert capacity building support.
Prize Money
- Up to ten teams will be selected as finalists in April 2025, and receive £100,000 each.
- One team will be awarded the grand prize in March 2026, and receive £1,000,000.
Funding must be used on research and development related to your proposal, however, you do not need to provide evidence of match funding. The funding is not a loan, we do not take any equity and you do not sign away rights to your intellectual property.
Join the Finalist Community
Finalist teams will join our finalist community, with the opportunity to attend Manchester Prize Academy Days. These academy days offer a chance to network with fellow innovators in the prize’s community and gain expert training tailored to support their development. Details on the full non-financial support package will be shared following finalist selection, with the offering designed to meet the unique needs of the teams.
Compute
Throughout the finalist phase, teams will have access to a package of up to £60,000 of Compute to help develop their solutions. Further information on this will be announced in the future and upon consultation with potential applicants.
Networking Opportunities
Finalist teams will gain access to network with key stakeholders who may support their development goals. Through Manchester Prize events, finalists will be showcased to a network of key people in the AI ecosystem, investors, and potential adopters in the public and private sectors.
