An AI-driven platform has been launched to improve the quality of applications for up to £200m of unclaimed grant support.
The proliferation of generative AI has increased the volume of applications, but where applied AI is inadequate, success rates have fallen to record lows of just 2-3%.
Ailsa aims to address this issue and has garnered early support from Monzo co-founder Gary Dolman and former Tesco Bank CEO Benny Higgins.
The scheme was founded by technology entrepreneur Rab Meliani, who said: “Ironically, while AI has made it easier than ever to write a grant application, it has made it much more difficult to submit a successful application.
“The challenge for companies is not to write sentences, but to understand which opportunities are worth pursuing and what evaluators are actually looking for.
“Ailsa is designed to fill that gap, so everyone in the funding system can benefit.”
“Public funding plays an important role in supporting innovation, but the system can be difficult to navigate. Ailsa is tackling that challenge in a way that reflects how funding decisions are actually made, using AI designed around real business needs,” said Dolman.
Mr Higgins, a former RBS and NatWest retail banking CEO and political party adviser, added: “The UK spends billions of dollars in grants every year, but the process of linking businesses to that funding is inefficient.”
“Ailsa’s approach, combining AI and real valuation expertise, addresses real structural questions about how funds are allocated.”
