What we’re looking for

The Manchester Prize is encouraging teams of innovators, academics, scientists, engineers, start-ups and entrepreneurs to submit their solutions in response to the following Challenge Statement.

Challenge Statement

The second Manchester Prize will be awarded to the most innovative and impactful AI solution enabling the UK to accelerate progress towards a net zero energy system.

Solutions should demonstrate:

• Use of AI that accelerates the UK’s adoption of clean energy technologies at scale;
• enable efficient or low-cost operations of clean energy systems;
• and/or significantly reduce energy demand or optimise energy usage.

The winning solution will demonstrate not only technical innovation but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption and scale.

Example Solutions

Here are some example solutions to further describe the kinds of innovations we might expect to receive – this list is illustrative only and not exhaustive – we expect to receive a range of applications outside of these examples:

• Predicting supply and demand to support smart load management in the grid, allowing for better integration of renewables while minimising transmission constraints.

• Optimising energy consumption in commercial spaces, for example, through (semi-)autonomous control of data centres.

• Maximising renewable energy capture and storage, by leveraging AI to discover new materials and design superior solar panels and wind turbines.

• Ensuring a stable and resilient energy supply, and easing grid stress, by using AI to optimise and coordinate local energy assets, such as heat pumps and batteries.

• Accelerating energy infrastructure projects while minimising environmental and societal impact through AI solutions that support feasibility studies or site plan development.

• Empowering people in their energy transition with solutions that provide AI-powered insights, and tailored interventions and support.

Other considerations

• The end of the Manchester Prize is January 2026. Entrants should consider that they will be expected to have at minimum a working prototype (approximately TRL 6) that can be demonstrated by this point. Finalists who enter to win the grand prize will be asked to quantify and judged on the potential impact of greenhouse gas emissions saved by 2030 and in the longer term.

• Finalists competing for the grand prize will also be required to complete technical validation checks organised by the Manchester Prize team to validate their AI approach.