Overview

This is a Contracts for Innovation competition funded by The Department for Education (DfE).

Eligibility

The aim of this competition is to develop tools which use generative AI to support teachers with assessing progress and providing feedback, known as formative assessment. These tools must support high quality education through evidence based teaching and learning approaches. These must align with relevant standards such as the National Curriculum or Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS). Successful applicants will have access to a quality assured library of educational content and code optimised for use with large language models.

These tools must support high quality education, aligned with the relevant standards. Successful applicants will have access to a quality assured library of educational content and code optimised for use with large language models.

Your project must:

1. Develop a formative assessment or feedback tool which is based on generative AI or large language model capability.

This must be based on free-text pupil or student work. This could include, for example, showing working in maths. However, assessment of multiple choice or single numerical answers are not in scope.

2. Develop a tool which is aligned with the relevant standards such as Early Years Foundation Stage, or National Curriculum in England if KS1-4, or 16-19 study programmes or T-Levels.

This must focus on evidence based best practice in teaching and learning. Your tools must support teachers to meet appropriate standards, such as the teachers standards.

In particular, all tools for KS1-4 must be aligned with the standards relating to subject, curriculum knowledge and expectations. The Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework sets out the evidence base for best practice that supports teachers to meet the standard.

You can refer to the relevant standards and guidance for your chosen project area by following the links in the Supporting Information section.

3. Develop a tool based on a quality assured library of educational content and code optimised for use with large language models.

The library will include but is not limited to, the National Curriculum in England, T-Levels, 16-19 programmes of study guidance and the EYFS. These will be available in optimised codified format. Quality assured systems prompts derived from evidence-based recommendations such as the Education Endowment Foundation guidance will also be available.

This proof of concept work demonstrates how codified content can improve educational performance of AI models

The library will also include pupil or student work with appropriate Intellectual Property (IP) permissions.

4. Develop a tool which supports teachers with assessing learning or providing feedback to students.

For EYFS projects your tool must support teachers with assessing learning and development.

5. Ensure that tools developed are safe, and compliant with relevant equality data protection and IP law.

6. Agree that any products developed will participate in any future DfE pilot approaches to monitoring AI safety in education.

By submitting this application you agree that any products developed will participate in any future DfE pilot approaches to monitoring AI safety in education.

Your project must support teachers to either assess learning, give effective feedback or both. This may include tools which produce feedback directly to pupils. Pupil or student facing tools must be designed to be aligned with human-led teaching practice, where pupil or student interaction is managed and overseen by a teacher.

Your project must focus on a stage from Early Years to 16 to 19 provision and can cover any subject from the specified list.

The Faculty Technical Report provides an example of how optimised content and code can support:

• AI functionality aligned with the National Curriculum in England
• good teaching and learning practice

Your project can involve the substantial adaptation or development of an existing tool where activity is at least 50% R&D, or development of an entirely new tool.

As part of the Contracts for Innovation conditions, successful applicants retain background and foreground IP, but the funder receives royalty-free rights to foreground IP, for example, the IP developed during the funded project in the Contracts for Innovation funding. This ensures the funding is not classified as a subsidy as both funder and successful applicants gain benefit from the funding.

DfE welcome proposals from applicants on how these royalty-free rights may be deployed for public good, including options such as discounts on products for a fixed period.

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

Contracts will be given to successful applicants.

Portfolio approach

DfE want to fund a variety of projects across different technologies, markets, technological maturities, research categories and areas of focus such as Key Stages. DfE call this a portfolio approach.

Prototype development

For this competition your project will develop a solution and produce a prototype solution in line with Technology Readiness Levels 6-7.

There may be a potential for future funding to allow successful projects to undertake piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real-life operating conditions.

Only the successful applicants from this competition will be invited to potential future funding rounds.