Digital Planning launches GBP £50,000 AI pilot fund

Digital Planning has launched a GBP £50,000 pilot fund for East Midlands businesses to test AI automation projects. Run in partnership with East Midlands Chamber, the scheme will support 10 companies.

Each successful applicant will receive up to GBP £5,000 in funded implementation support to build an AI agent for one defined operational problem. The pilot targets businesses that want to test automation in a live process before deciding on broader investment.

The fund targets organisations with annual turnover of at least GBP £1 million or a workforce of at least 25 employees. Applicants must identify a repetitive manual process that could save GBP £50,000 a year through automation, show they understand the current time and cost of that process, and provide access to the systems and data used in the workflow.

Places will not be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be judged on the proposed pilot's likely business impact.

Selection criteria

Digital Planning is seeking businesses that can define a single costly, repetitive task rather than those with a broad interest in AI. Successful applicants will receive a working automation focused on one business challenge, then decide whether to invest further in similar systems.

In exchange, participating businesses will agree to share the pilot results as a case study, although this can be anonymised if required. This gives Digital Planning examples of how the projects perform in operating environments across the region.

Mark Underwood, Co-founder, Digital Planning, outlined the thinking behind the fund.

"We're backing this with our own money because we're confident in the return businesses will see. Once leaders have a working automation solving a real problem, without a leap of faith on cost or risk, they can see the value for themselves," Underwood said.

The launch reflects a wider pattern among smaller and mid-sized businesses weighing up AI projects but unsure where to begin. Research presented by Digital Planning through the chamber found that uncertainty over practical starting points and concern about committing money to unfamiliar systems were common barriers.

Regional focus

Based in Leicestershire, Digital Planning was founded in 2021 and works on digital transformation projects. Focusing the fund on the East Midlands gives the company a local pipeline of trial projects while offering regional businesses access to funded support for narrowly defined automation work.

James Ferraby, Co-founder and Head of Digital Planning, said the company wanted applicants to focus on measurable operational issues.

"Many business leaders know they need to act on AI, but they do not know where to start - or which process will deliver the greatest return. We are not looking for businesses that simply want AI in general. We are looking for one specific, costly problem that we can fix. The businesses that will get the most from this fund are those able to identify a frustrating, repetitive process and explain exactly how much time and money it is costing them," Ferraby said.

East Midlands Chamber's backing places the initiative within the region's business support network at a time when many employers are examining how AI tools could alter back-office work, customer handling, and internal reporting. By setting turnover, staffing, and savings thresholds, the scheme also narrows its search to companies that can show a material commercial case for a pilot.

For Digital Planning, the programme structure limits each project to one operational challenge, narrowing the trial's scope and giving both sides a clearer basis for measuring whether the automation works. For participating businesses, the appeal is the chance to test a working system without bearing the initial implementation cost.

Interest has already been strong since the fund's webpage went live.