Construction is a BridgeAI priority sector, so AI adoption support is directly available — useful for an industry with thin margins and heavy documentation. Here are the real funding routes in 2026, cited to official sources. (dgm implements osFoundry as an independent partner.)

BridgeAI: construction is a named target sector

The most relevant route is BridgeAI — the £100m Innovate UK programme driving AI/ML adoption in high-growth, lower-AI-maturity sectors, explicitly including construction. It offers a four-phase AI Adoption Framework, funding competitions, training and compute vouchers, and was set to expand after Autumn Budget 2025. For a sector with relatively low AI maturity, that structured support is valuable.

R&D tax relief and KTPs

  • R&D tax relief (merged scheme) — for genuine development, e.g. novel computer-vision for site safety or progress monitoring. Off-the-shelf construction-tech adoption doesn’t qualify.
  • KTPs — build AI/data capability with a university partner (~67% funded for SMEs).

The honest caveat

There’s no simple grant to buy construction AI software. Funding is adoption support (BridgeAI), R&D relief after the spend, and capability-building (KTP). Budget to invest and use these to offset and de-risk.

High-value AI use cases in construction

  • Document and drawing processing — extracting and cross-checking information from specs, drawings and contracts.
  • Programme and risk analysis — surfacing risks and delays.
  • RFI, submittal and correspondence handling.
  • Back-office automation — procurement, compliance documentation, reporting.

Where osFoundry and dgm fit

dgm scopes and implements these on osFoundry — usage-priced, bring-your-own-key, with self-hosting options for site-based or data-sensitive work. For UK data-sensitive work we’d use an EU region or a self-hosted deployment (osFoundry publishes US/EU/JP regions, not a UK one).

dgm is an independent integration partner with zero integrations so far, and not a grant-writing service. BridgeAI support comes from Innovate UK and partners. To scope a fundable construction AI project, book a consultation with dgm. General information; confirm scheme terms with the official sources.