The Manchester Prize Round 2: Clean Energy Systems

Key Features

The second Manchester Prize is a multi-million-pound launchpad for innovators with bold AI solutions for a clean energy economy.

Programme:     Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Award:     Share of up to £1 million

Opens: 19th Nov 2024

Closes: 17th Jan 2025

! This scheme is closing soon

Overview

The second Manchester Prize is a multi-million-pound launchpad for innovators with bold AI solutions for a clean energy economy. The Prize will be awarded to the most innovative and impactful AI solution enabling the UK to accelerate progress towards a net zero energy system. They are seeking ideas from innovators across the country to enter the Prize.

Innovators applying for the second Manchester Prize are invited to respond to this year’s 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 delivers on at least one of the following:

  • accelerates the UK’s adoption of clean energy technologies at scale,
  • enables efficient or low-cost operations of clean energy systems,
  • significantly reduces energy demand, or optimises energy usage.

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

Up to 10 of the most promising solutions will each be supported with £100,000 in seed funding and additional non-financial support to develop solutions capable of winning the £1 million grand prize in spring 2026.

All the information you need is included in the menu below – the information is also included here in the Innovator Handbook. Please read all of these details before you apply for the prize. If you still have queries, contact the team  at  info@manchesterprize.org

Eligibility

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.

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 – they 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.

Judging Criteria

Up to ten finalists will be picked at the end of the entry phase, and one winner of the grand prize will be picked at the end of the finalist phase.

At both points, the successful teams will be assessed, judged and selected based on five judging criteria by teams of qualified assessors (finalist phase only) and a panel of expert judges.

The judging criteria for the finalist selection are equally weighted at 20%, meaning they are all judged as equally important.

Innovation: Teams should demonstrate how their solution is an innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), compared to what is the current state of the art. This may be innovation in the underlying AI, a novel application of an existing AI approach, or both. (Innovation in the business model, marketing, or service design is not taken into account – these feature in other judging criteria.)

Impact: Teams should explain how their solution will deliver on at least one of the following:

  • accelerate the UK’s transition to clean energy technologies at scale
  • enable efficient or low-cost operations of clean energy systems
  • significantly reduce energy demand, or optimise energy usage

Teams should indicate the speed and scale at which they expect this impact to be achieved, expected impacts by 2030, and anticipated longer-term impacts. Teams are asked to quantify this impact in expected greenhouse gas emissions saved.

Feasibility: The team should show how their scientific and technical approach is appropriate and how the team has the capacity to deliver a working prototype by January 2026.

Long-term viability: Teams should articulate why there is a credible path to adoption (commercial or non-commercial), and what their plan is to pursue it.

Safety, ethics and sustainability: The team should show they are taking action to showcase best practice in developing and deploying safe and ethical AI, and how they are assessing and mitigating risks to environmental sustainability posed by their solution.

Eligibility Criteria

This criteria determines team’s eligibility to apply for the prize – please take a close look and get in touch with us at info@manchesterprize.org if you have any questions.

Eligible entrants: Entries must come from organisations legally incorporated in the UK (e.g. private limited companies, non-profits, charities, universities). They will not accept applications from individuals or unincorporated groups. See here for guidance on how to incorporate. (Incorporation costs around £50 straightforward applications are normally processed within 24 hours, please check the site to confirm your individual needs.)

Geographical scope: The lead entrant organisation must be based in the United Kingdom and must be able to receive funds into a UK bank account in the name of the lead entrant. Organisations other than the lead entrant organisation may be based outside of the UK.

Consortia entries: Teams may enter as a consortium but must nominate one organisation as the lead entrant to submit the application. The lead entrant organisation representing finalist teams will be the organisation that enters into contracts and receives funding from the Manchester Prize.

Previous Manchester Prize finalists: Finalists from the first Manchester Prize are eligible to participate if submitting a new and original solution, which is distinct from their first Manchester Prize submission.

Employees of Challenge Works and DSIT prohibited: Employees of Challenge Works (Nesta, or any company within the same group) or DSIT, and any immediate family of those employees, and any other individuals working on, or connected to, the prize are not eligible to enter.

Conflicts of interest: Any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest, as more particularly detailed in the terms and conditions, may result in a participant being disqualified from participation. Conflicts of interest must be declared and mitigation agreed with Challenge Works. If you think this may affect you (or any of your partners, if applicable), please contact the team info@manchesterprize.org.uk.

Other considerations

Further to meeting these eligibility criteria, other entrant considerations are as follows:

  • Participants (and their partners, if applicable) will be subject to due diligence checks and must pass due diligence checks in order to qualify.
  • You must agree to abide by our terms and conditions.
  • As more particularly detailed in the prize terms & conditions: the participant must be fully authorised (whether by ownership or licence)to use and exploit all IP rights necessary for the development and deployment of the solution that the participant is submitting for consideration, including both background and foreground IP, and any IP that is owned or licenced by any of the lead entrant’s consortium members. For example, if you are an academic team entering as a newly incorporated company, you will need to ensure that the university has granted rights to their background IP and the foreground IP to you for submission through the Manchester Prize.

Funding Costs

  • 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.

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.

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.

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.

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.