Digital Science’s 2026 Catalyst Grant seeks agentic AI workflows
Digital Science has opened applications for its 2026 Catalyst Grant, offering up to £25,000 in equity-free funding for innovative technology ideas supporting the research ecosystem.
The theme for this year’s programme is ‘Agentic Workflows You Can Trust’, with the tech company seeking applications that explore novel uses of agentic AI across the research lifecycle.
The grant is open to individuals, startups and research teams worldwide, with applications closing on Monday 5 October 2026.
Now in its 16th year, the Catalyst Grant supports early-stage ideas involving new software tools and technologies designed to advance research and its impact on society.
Applicants do not need to have revenue, a finished product or a complete business plan. Digital Science said submissions can range from a prototype or working product to a well-developed concept, but applicants should clearly explain the problem they are addressing, their approach, how it fits a trustworthy agentic workflow and the current stage of development.
Focus on trusted AI agents
Digital Science said this year’s programme reflects the evolution of AI tools from systems that generate or analyse content towards agents capable of carrying out more complex tasks.
Steve Scott, VP Portfolio Development at Digital Science, said: “AI tools are increasingly able to act on research, not just describe it. The next breakthroughs will come from agentic workflows, autonomous and multi-step, that researchers, institutions and funders can actually rely on.
“We’re funding the early-stage builders making AI agents safe to put in front of an institution: autonomous in service of researchers, with provenance, governance and accountability built in.
“This is a different category from the generative AI tools we were funding three years ago. An agentic workflow plans, executes and reviews multi-step work rather than answering a single prompt. Trust in this case means quality rather than detection. An agent that shows its working, not a tool that catches bad actors after the fact.”
For 2026, Digital Science is particularly interested in applications involving trusted authorship and writing, enterprise research workflows, trusted decision agents for funding and institutional decisions, and trusted publication workflows.
Scott added: “Catalyst Grant’s real value lies beyond the funding itself. It’s in the opportunities provided to winning teams: the conversations it starts, practical advice, introductions to other experts in the field, and a sharper idea of what successful innovation looks like.”
Applications for the 2026 Catalyst Grant are now open, with further information and application details available from Digital Science’s Catalyst Grant website.