AwakenHub seeks NI based firms for AI initiative after being selected as only NI project in UK government Regional Tech Booster programme

AwakenHub launches ActivateAI - Bridging Gaps, Boosting Productivity & Growth

Derry-headquartered AwakenHub is inviting applications from NI tech-based businesses to join its AI productivity programme after being the only local project to secure funding under the UK Government’s new £1m Regional Tech Booster scheme.

Activate AI: Bridging Gaps, Boosting Productivity & Growth will support a mix of 30 early-stage entrepreneurs and established NI based businesses to adopt artificial intelligence to address productivity gaps, with a particular focus on women, rural, and minority founders.

Pictured at the launch of the Regional Tech Booster Scheme in Manchester are Sinead Crowley, Cofounder and Director of Community, AwakenHub (R) and Louise Sheridan, Deputy Director, Digital and Tech Sector, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (L).

Activate AI - Calling Northern Ireland’s Founders and Entrepreneurs

Delivered in partnership with Tech NI Advocates, the project will run from December to March in a mix of online and hybrid delivery. It will also include four high-impact events with global AI leaders and startup and scaling industry experts, culminating in a March showcase where participants will present the impact AI has had on their operations.

AwakenHub will also publish an AI Implementation Toolkit at the end of the project to share learnings from the pilot across the wider business community.

Speaking about the announcement of the project, AwakenHub’s co-founder and CEO, Clare McGee, said: “AwakenHub being chosen as the only NI-based project under the UK Government’s Regional Tech Booster scheme marks an important step forward in building a more inclusive and innovative tech ecosystem here. We know we have the talent and ambition to lead in AI adoption in NI, but to do this, we need more opportunities to educate and inform, and AwakenHub is committed to developing these. This project is a vital part of that work. It is going to provide 30 local tech-based businesses with the practical tools, know-how, and connections they need to embed AI into their operations, improve their productivity, and unlock real growth.”

AwakenHub was one of four pilots selected to join a panel at Mission Tech in Manchester this week, where it shared its plans with Tech Cluster groups from across the UK. The Regional Tech Booster programme is designed to strengthen tech ecosystems across the UK, with a total of 14 projects supported. The aim is to ensure the benefits of tech innovation and jobs are spread beyond London and into local communities. Other initiatives include gaming start-up accelerators in Scotland, AI innovation challenges in Wales, and advanced connectivity pilots in England. The UK Government is partnering with UK Tech Cluster Group to deliver the programme, ensuring local expertise is driving the work on the ground. The programme also includes a series of investment events, through a National Investment Corridors initiative, with the first two taking place in Bristol and Leeds later this year. The National Investment Corridors will put local tech centre-stage, boosting investment into the UK’s tech talent from beyond the capital.

The UK’s Tech for Growth Minister, Kanishka Narayan MP said: “We want UK tech to grow and succeed from any and every corner of the country. It’s a no-brainer that supporting projects like these, and encouraging more investment across the UK, will catalyse our tech brilliance to boost economic growth and opportunities for communities nationwide.”

Apply today to join Activate AI

We are excited to launch Activate AI and will be sharing full programme details soon. ActivateAI will support 30 entrepreneurs across Northern Ireland to adopt AI, with a particular focus on empowering underrepresented founders. Open to entrepreneurs and established tech businesses. In the meantime, if you are an founder, entrepreneur, or SME in Northern Ireland who would like to explore how AI can support your business growth, we’d love to hear from you. Please register your interest, and we will keep you updated with next steps. NI based businesses interested in participating in AwakenHub’s Activate AI: Bridging Gaps, Boosting Productivity & Growth project should register before 4th November, 2025. 

The full list of projects receiving funding are:

• Northern Ireland: AwakenHub Ltd: Activate AI: Bridging Gaps, Boosting Productivity & Growth - Activate AI is a pilot programme by AwakenHub and Tech NI Advocates aimed at boosting AI adoption and productivity among underrepresented founders and SMEs in Northern Ireland. Combining AI-powered tools with hands-on support, the initiative targets women, minorities, and rural entrepreneurs through masterclasses, peer collaboration, and regional showcases.

• Scotland: ScotlandIS: Future Ready In Scotland - This project aims to break down the barriers that often prevent tech founders in rural or remote communities  from accessing opportunities typically available in more urban or connected areas through creating peer networks, fostering collaboration, providing targeted training, and connecting isolated founders to national support and organisations.

• Game Space: ‘Levelling-Up Scottish Games Startups for Global Success’ - Game Space will deliver a bespoke support programme for early-stage Scottish games startups, going beyond traditional accelerators by focusing on community building, peer learning, ethical strategy, and sustainable business growth.

• Wales: Tramshed Tech: T[ai]th Start ~ AI Venture Building Challenges in Wales - Tramshed Tech’s AI Innovation Challenge is driving AI capability and innovation across Wales. The programme will equip Welsh talent and businesses with practical AI skills through workshops, mentorship, and hands-on learning, while helping start-ups and scale-ups integrate AI solutions. Alongside this, a series of high-energy sprints and a final showcase will spark new ventures, connecting participants with global tech sponsors, local networks, and investors. This initiative aims to position Wales as a hub for AI-driven growth and entrepreneurship.

• East Midlands: Allia Impact: Building a tech 4 good ecosystem across EMCCA - The pilot will offer a structured support pipeline—from rapid prototyping and pre-launch programmes to scale-up and funding readiness—delivered through workshops, mentoring, tech tours, and showcase events. The pilot also aims to address fragmented business support, limited community engagement, and underrepresentation by fostering inclusive entrepreneurship and regional collaboration.

• East of England: Tech East: ACT Catalyst: Boosting Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) in the East of England - The pilot will target startups, scaleups, and non-tech SMEs through events, cross-sector panels, and tailored support including funding access, talent pathways, and sector engagement. It aims to raise awareness of ACT(encompassing 5G, 6G, AI integration, and quantum communications) while bridging gaps in visibility, investment, and cross-sector collaboration.

• South West: Digital Plymouth: The Digital Plymouth Beyond Boundaries Pilot - The Digital Plymouth Beyond Boundaries Pilot is a pre-accelerator programme designed to address systemic gaps in early-stage support in Plymouth’s tech ecosystem. The pilot aims to provide a direct pathway for creating the next generation of founders through delivering meet ups and events for students and aspiring founders.

• South East: Plus X Brighton & the Sussex Innovation Centre: Brighton & Sussex Innovation Partnership for Scale Up Growth - This combined initiative will help early-stage ventures overcome scaling barriers through targeted workshops, expert mentoring, and access to advanced prototyping facilities, while also supporting established “potential scaleups” with tailored interventions to boost AI adoption, quantum awareness, and scale-up readiness. By pooling resources and expertise, the partnership will strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem and unlock growth across diverse sectors, from CreativeTech to Healthtech.

• North West: COOPERATIVE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED: Silicon Sands Ecosystem Catalyst Pilot Project - The programme is designed to attract businesses that rely on high-performance computing and value sustainable infrastructure. Through the pilot project Silicon Sands will look to deliver direct FTE support to the startup and scale up community, combined with creating ‘foundations for growth’, which will put in place the building blocks for success.

• Idea to MVP - Tackling Lancashire’s Startup Shortage Through FE-Led Innovation - Northern Reach, in partnership with Blackburn College, is launching Idea to MVP—a targeted initiative to help build a culture of enterprise within Lancashire’s further education (FE) college network and the wider community.

• Yorkshire and the Humber: Leeds Digital: Leeds Digital Startup Studio - A peer-to-peer learning model to support at least 30 early-stage and scaling tech businesses across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Unlike traditional accelerators, the Studio is a place-based growth community where founders learn directly from each other, with expert input only where gaps are identified.

• Sheffield Digital Limited: Pathways off the Plateau - Scale Up Programme - A programme that will provide targeted support, whether through growth diagnostics, curated introductions, bespoke action plans etc, to at least 30 plateaued digital businesses in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, unlocking their further growth potential. Plateaued businesses are established firms with proven products, services, and revenues, but where growth has stalled due to barriers mainstream accelerators rarely address.

• North East: Prepare to Land Ltd: Founder Commons - This pilot addresses the challenges of a lack of experienced founders and global scaling expertise in the region, through intentional community building, led by founders with first-hand experience of growing and scaling tech companies.

• West Midlands: TN Naija Ltd: Build Here, Bridge Beyond - Supporting immigrant founders in the West Midlands to scale locally and globally. Many immigrant and first-generation founders in the West Midlands face a unique set of challenges: limited access to trusted professional networks, underrepresentation in high-growth incubators, and a lack of culturally responsive programming. This pilot aims to address these gaps, directly supporting 30+ tech startups in Birmingham, Coventry, and surrounding areas through a structured but flexible learning experience. 

Notes: 

• The Regional Tech Booster was first announced in July 2025, and will be delivered through partnership with UK Tech Cluster Group. 

• Investment corridor events will expand to additional regions throughout 2025 and 2026. 

• Projects were selected for their ability to deliver high-impact, local innovation that will support at least 30 tech businesses over a six-month period. Each proposal was assessed against four core criteria: understanding local ecosystem challenges, fostering an inclusive tech community, demonstrating measurable and sustainable impact, and driving innovation.