Ready to take your healthcare AI innovation into the real world?

We are inviting applications for innovative entrepreneurial project ideas that apply AI in a healthcare context.

The CHAI Catalyst Competition will award three successful projects with a £50,000 CHAI seed aware each to improve their innovation’s commercial readiness and take their proof of concept (TRL 3) to the real world for further testing/validation (TRL 5) over 6-12 months.

Eligible applicants are UK residents, academic employees or students at a UKRI-eligible institution, and do not currently own / operate a registered business.

Eligible projects are early stage (TRL 3 moving to TRL 5), relevant to causal AI in healthcare, and have potential for economic and / or societal impact in the UK.

Application window opens 2nd November 2026.

Application window closes 2nd December 2026.

Please read below for further details on terms & conditions and the application timeline:

Applicant guide

Stage 1

Application window opens Monday 2nd November 2026.

Applicants send the following to rosanna.culver@ei.ed.ac.uk with "CHAI Catalyst Competition Application’’ in the subject line by 11.59pm GMT on Wednesday 2nd December 2026:

  • Application form

  • Project Gantt chart

  • 2-page CVs for each team member

  • Letters of support from any partners

  • Letters of support from the lead applicant’s host institution

Reviewers score applications and shortlist 10 finalists.

Stage 2

10 finalists attend the live pitching competition in person at the Royal Society, London, on Thursday 25th March 2027.

Between January - March 2027, pitching support and business mentorship will be organised with a CHAI entrepreneurship partner.

The event will consist of a morning of briefs from past start-up/spin-out founders, health tech investors/translators, and IP experts to educate on venture creation.

In the afternoon, finalists will deliver a short elevator pitch to a panel of judges who will score the applications and announce the three winners of the three £50,000 CHAI seed awards.

Press to Download Applicant guide PDF
Press to Download Application Form Template Word Document
Press to Download Gantt Chart Template PDF

FAQs

  • The CHAI Catalyst Competition has been created to:

    • Accelerate – bold ideas in healthcare AI into impact

    • Connect – emerging innovators with supporters

    • Educate – on the world of entrepreneurship

  • The competition is being run by our Business Lead, Rosanna.

    Please email her at rosanna.culver@ei.ed.ac.uk for questions surrounding the competition as well as to submit your application.

  • £50,000 CHAI seed funding is available for each successful project. Three winners will each be awarded £50,000 to accelerate their innovation into the real world.

  • Commercialisation, entrepreneurship, partnership, and impact development.

    Please download the applicant guide above to see the full list of fundable and not fundable activities.

  • Lead applicants must not currently own or operate a registered business.

    All individuals wishing to receive CHAI seed award funding must have completed all relevant mandatory institutional training required to hold funding, for example: in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; Research Integrity; GDPR / Information Security; etc.

    Eligible lead applicants must be:

    UK residents and either:

    ▪ Academic employees at a:

    • Higher education provider

    • Independent research organisation

    • Public sector research establishment

    • UKRI institute

    • Catapult

    • NHS body

    ▪ Or University students or postdoctoral researchers (award cannot be used for stipend, fees, or placements.)

    Please check if your organisation is eligible for UKRI funding before applying.

  • All projects funded by the CHAI seed award must:

    o Be relevant to causal AI in healthcare:

    ▪ E.g. causal inference, counterfactual modelling, explainability, trustworthy AI, etc.

    o Have potential to lead to economic and/or societal impact in the UK.

    o Be early stage:

    ▪ Currently TRL 3 moving to TRL 5 (completed proof-of concept, requiring award funding to validate and test in real-world environments).

    Please download the applicant guide above for more details.

  • We are looking for early-stage innovations anywhere between TRL 3 to TRL 5 which would require this funding to propel up the TRLs.

  • All commercialisation projects should be developed in consultation with your institutional IP and Commercialisation team.

    Awardees are responsible for discussing and resolving IP matters with your contracts/IP teams and your partners ahead of an award being made.

    Applicants must provide proof of institutional support (e.g. letter of support).

  • Route to market may be a start-up, spinout, or can also encompass commercial licensing.

    Please read the applicant guide to understand the CHAI seed award’s terms and conditions.