Guidance

AIRR Gateway route (UKRI guidance)

Updated 28 September 2026

Guidance from UKRI on how to apply using the AIRR Gateway route.

Summary

Designed for researchers from academia, industry, or other UK organisations, this route supports:

• first-time users of artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputing resources
• testing of (novel) algorithms, code, and workflows
• benchmarking of algorithms, code, and workflows before applying for larger AIRR - opportunities

Eligible activities include ^{[footnote 1]}:

• fundamental research (research organisations only)
• feasibility studies
• industrial research
• experimental development

For more information, see the UKRI guidance on categories of research and development.

Resources available:

Up to 10,000 GPU hours on AIRR services, to be used within 3 months of project start.

Accessibility and inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone.

You must read this guidance fully before you start your application.

You can contact us at airr@ukri.org to ask for guidance not addressed in the guidance document.

Eligibility

Who can apply

Your organisation must be one of the following:

• UK registered business of any size and have a Companies House registration number
• charity
• not-for-profit organisation
• research organisation eligible for UKRI funding including:
  • higher education providers
  • research institutes
  • NHS bodies
  • public sector research establishments
  • independent research organisations
  • catapult centres

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our funding rules and research organisations eligible for UKRI funding.

There is no limit to the number of applications from any one organisation.

Subsidy control (and state aid where applicable)

All AIRR access routes provide awards in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

EU state aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

In the ‘Lead organisation details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if state aid or subsidy applies to your organisation, including your subsidy history.

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the state aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.

You must always make sure that the resources awarded to you are compliant with all current Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.

Project finances

Project applications from businesses or non-academic organisations undertaking feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development projects will need to state all eligible project costs. Academic organisations do not need to provide this information.

Remember that no funding is available through this route, only compute resource. The information on project costs is required to ensure awards are made in in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

For an overview on what costs you can include in your project, see Costs guidance for non-academic organisations. Note this is general guidance. You can also view our application finances video.

The AIRR programme would welcome the following project costs as aligning to the policy objectives:

• software development
• staff training related to AI

Support ratios

Project applications from businesses, or non-academic organisations undertaking feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development projects will need to ensure that the balance between your total eligible project costs and the amount of compute resources awarded is funded by your organisation. Academic organisations are not subject to this requirement.

For feasibility studies and industrial research, the maximum percentage of the overall eligible project costs that can be compute resources awarded through this route are:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For experimental development, the maximum percentage of the overall eligible project costs that can be compute resources awarded through this route are:

• up to 45% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 35% if you are a medium-sized organisation
• up to 25% if you are a large organisation

For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under state aid regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Scope

The Gateway route gives an open, flexible route to applicants for their research and development ideas and requirements, within the broad remit of the AIRR programme.

This route allows an open approach for users across academia, commercial and individual research, looking to prompt a range of novel and developing areas of AI research, as well as supporting upskilling across a wide range of AI-relevant experience.

Potential AI-related research topics include, but are not limited to:

• development of novel algorithms and software tools
• exploring AI-assisted workflow
• AI-driven data collection, production, and synthesis.

This route covers activities that fall into the following categories (see categories of research and development – UKRI):

• fundamental research
• feasibility studies
• industrial research
• experimental development

How to apply

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to ensure that:

• all information provided in the application is accurate
• the proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria for the chosen access route

Important notes

Self-contained applications only: do not include links to external web resources. Applications containing such links will be deemed ineligible.

Use of generative AI tools: you may use generative AI to help prepare your application. However, exercise caution and ensure the content remains accurate and appropriate. For more details, refer to the UKRI policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.

Application structure

The application consists of the following components:

1. AIRRPortal online form, with 3 sections (not scored by assessors).
   a. Project details (which includes the ‘Upload supporting documentation’ option, where the attachments requested below are to be uploaded).
   b. Resource requests.
   c. Project team.
   

2. Supporting documentation to be uploaded, templates for both attachments are available on the AIRRPortal call details page.
   a. Further project and organisation details, including compliance and project costs and subsidy history (not scored by assessors).
   b. Assessment questions (scored by assessors).

Processing personal data and data sharing

UKRI will need to collect some personal information to manage your application.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

UKRI will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) so that they can participate in the assessment process.

For more information on how BIST uses personal information, visit BIST Privacy Policy.

How your project will be assessed

We reserve the right to amend the assessment process if needed.

Applications will be subject to a light-touch review by a member of the UKRI and BIST Delivery Team. Reviews will normally take place on a monthly basis, with a target maximum time to resource access of 2 months from the date of submission.

The UKRI and BIST Delivery Team will assess applications against the following criteria:

• does the project clearly align with the scope and objectives of the AIRR programme?
• is there a clear explanation of how the project uses AI, including any novel or innovative aspects where relevant?
• has the project demonstrated that access to AIRR resources would add significant value to the proposed work?
• is there a clear justification for the level and type of compute requested?
• is there a clear description of the project’s anticipated outputs?
• will the outputs benefit the project team and contribute to wider research, innovation or economic activity?
• does the project support the government’s Industrial Strategy, missions or other relevant policy priorities?
• have any concerns been identified through the compliance and eligibility information provided?

What happens if you receive an award offer

If your project application is successful, UKRI will send the project lead a formal offer letter, which will contain the award terms and conditions, any subsidy notice required and a link to the online equality monitoring form.

When you confirm the equality monitoring form has been completed, the project lead will be emailed a project link from the AIRRPortal.

By logging in to the AIRRPortal and accessing the compute resources, you will have accepted the UKRI terms and conditions.

1. Categories of research and development – UKRI ↩