About the programme
Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) are investing £26.5 million in the Next Generation Professional and Financial Services programme. This programme helps professional service sectors, including accounting and law, and the financial service sectors, including insurance, lending, advisory and payment services, develop and use digital technologies.
This programme aims to transform UK professional and financial services by responsibly developing and deploying digital technologies to deliver world-leading services through five strands of activity:
- Adoption – Support for adoption in demand side firms through two new dedicated Innovation Adoption Accelerators.
- R&D support – Collaborative R&D innovation support programme for lawtech, accountech, fintech and insurtech.
- Data access – Data access in cross sectoral areas of professional and financial services.
- Networking – Connecting, disseminating learning and building community through the AI for Services network.
- International – Support to develop international collaboration opportunities.
IMPACT
Funded projects
This programme builds on the £20m Next Generation Services Challenge Fund, which supported a wide range of projects that have developed new technologies, products and services to make the UK’s legal, accounting and insurance sectors more effective.
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Support for organisations

NETWORK
AI for Services
AI for Services is a UK-wide network of innovative professionals and leading academics. Join the network to access funding, relevant content, and networking and collaboration opportunities.
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ACCELERATOR
Technology in Professional Services
Helps mid-tier and smaller accounting and law firms to adopt digital technology, through funding, training, technical and organisational advice, and structured adoption processes.
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ACCELERATOR
Future Finance
Aims to accelerate innovation adoption in SME and mid-tier financial services firms to help boost their productivity and competitiveness, opening the potential to develop new propositions and create new markets.
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