Local tech firms invited to join AwakenHub's new AI initiative

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 tech-based businesses to adopt artificial intelligence to address productivity gaps, with a particular focus on women, rural, and minority founders.

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. 

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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.”

NI tech-based businesses interested in participating in AwakenHub’s Activate AI: Bridging Gaps, Boosting Productivity & Growth project should register their interest at https://bit.ly/ActivateAI before November 4, 2025.