Round 1 winning team announced
We are pleased to announce the winning team is Polaron, an artificial intelligence technology that dramatically accelerates the development of new advanced materials from decades to just a day. Read our blog on the winning team to find out more The Manchester Prize, an initiative of the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will award £1 million every year to a team of innovators with the most cutting-edge AI solution for public good. The first Manchester Prize ran from November 2023 to March 2025, and awarded £2 million in two phases.
In its first year, the Manchester Prize awarded innovators with the most innovative and impactful AI solution which demonstrates social benefit by overcoming challenges in the fields of energy, environment and infrastructure.
10 of the most promising solutions were each awarded £100,000 grants and additional non-financial support in May 2024.
The winner of the £1 million grand prize was announced on 19th March 2025 at a prestigious event at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Congratulations to Polaron, an artificial intelligence technology that dramatically accelerates the development of new advanced materials from decades to just a day.
Manchester Prize has brought more credibility to our work, particularly in advancing our talks and building our industry connections. This has been particularly useful in establishing our ongoing partnership with Network Rail. Furthermore, the prize has allowed us to be more visible with probably the hardest markets to get into in the UK, so even if we don’t win the 1 million pound grand prize, we are in a much stronger place to go forward and go further for investment.