UK goes shopping for homegrown AI with £100M procurement scheme

The British government has opened the first competitions under a £100 million procurement scheme intended to give domestic AI startups a route into public sector contracts. Chancellor John Healey announced the initiative at a G20 finance ministers meeting in North Carolina. It invites companies to develop technology addressing challenges including NHS productivity, national security, cyber resilience, and the efficiency of public AI infrastructure. The government says the scheme will help