{
  "id": "sovereign-ai",
  "title": "Sovereign AI",
  "subtitle": "what changed in the procurement guidance?",
  "summary": "Supporting evidence: nine wording changes between two versions of the Sovereign AI procurement guidance, with source files, metadata and archives.",
  "checked": "2026-10-19",
  "versions": [
    {
      "id": "v1",
      "author_masked": "R********",
      "file": "guidance-v1.pdf",
      "text_file": "guidance-v1.txt",
      "pages": 10,
      "bytes": 419608,
      "created": "2026-08-28T17:14:25+01:00",
      "sha256": "d06481138bc8c040008bf15925fc0defbf68bb3a127ceaee4235de20fec57cab",
      "url": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/699b76e1c0f6def91adc6c77/6a91bbc9a127f0cbf855eab5_Competition%20Guidance%20SovAI%20Procurement%20.pdf",
      "archive_url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20260908235326/https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/699b76e1c0f6def91adc6c77/6a91bbc9a127f0cbf855eab5_Competition%20Guidance%20SovAI%20Procurement%20.pdf",
      "archive_timestamp": "2026-09-08T23:53:26Z",
      "verification": "Local PDF, live URL download and supplied Wayback snapshot payload have identical SHA-256 hashes; checked 2026-10-19."
    },
    {
      "id": "v2",
      "author_masked": "j********",
      "file": "guidance-v2.pdf",
      "text_file": "guidance-v2.txt",
      "pages": 11,
      "bytes": 317337,
      "created": "2026-09-20T20:01:17+01:00",
      "sha256": "3085f011a7ca6aa37627798e9cb68381e705abc8751d68f0d22b14461ce33442",
      "url": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/699b76e1c0f6def91adc6c77/6a91bbc9a127f0cbf855eab5_88997fa64b36e2a85d673c6ccfb5c1eb_Competition%20Guidance%20SovAI%20Procurement%20.pdf",
      "archive_url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20261012125328/https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/699b76e1c0f6def91adc6c77/6a91bbc9a127f0cbf855eab5_88997fa64b36e2a85d673c6ccfb5c1eb_Competition%20Guidance%20SovAI%20Procurement%20.pdf",
      "archive_timestamp": "2026-10-12T12:53:28Z",
      "verification": "Local PDF, live URL download and supplied Wayback snapshot payload have identical SHA-256 hashes; checked 2026-10-19."
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "foi": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/audit_trail_behind_the_sovereign",
    "letter": "https://paragraph.com/@planetary-council/open-letter-addressed-to-sovereign-ai"
  },
  "changes": [
    {
      "id": "c01",
      "title": "full applications: from any time to competition dates",
      "kind": "submission timing",
      "pages": [
        2,
        2
      ],
      "before": "Once you are an Approved Supplier, you can submit your Full Application at any time, and it will be assessed after the next competition deadline.",
      "after": "Once you are an Approved Supplier you can submit your Full Application in line with the Competition Dates.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "Proposals are assessed in competition batches every two months."
          ],
          "after": []
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c02",
      "title": "three opening dates added",
      "kind": "submission timing",
      "pages": [
        2,
        2
      ],
      "before": null,
      "after": "Opens 15 September 2026\nOpens 14 November 2026\nOpens 30 January 2027",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "The dates for this financial year are:",
            "Batch 1:"
          ],
          "after": [
            "Submit your proposal by 16 October 2026 to receive an outcome on 13 November 2026"
          ]
        },
        {
          "before": [
            "Batch 2:"
          ],
          "after": [
            "Submit your proposal by 31 December 2026 to receive an outcome on 29 January 2027"
          ]
        },
        {
          "before": [
            "Batch 3:"
          ],
          "after": [
            "Submit your proposal by 26 February 2027 to receive an outcome on 31 March 2027"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c03",
      "title": "lead applicant work share added to eligibility",
      "kind": "eligibility checklist",
      "pages": [
        3,
        3
      ],
      "before": null,
      "after": "The lead applicant must carry out at least 50% of the work.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "The project must be located in the UK."
          ],
          "after": [
            "Project proposals must be between £250,000 and £10 million."
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c04",
      "title": "challenge selection added to stage 1 checks",
      "kind": "application check",
      "pages": [
        4,
        4
      ],
      "before": null,
      "after": "Which challenge you intend to address.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "What we check:"
          ],
          "after": [
            "Whether your work aligns with the Sovereign AI Focus Areas (these are described in more detail in the EOI form):"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c05",
      "title": "subcontracting confirmation added to stage 1",
      "kind": "application check",
      "pages": [
        5,
        5
      ],
      "before": null,
      "after": "Confirming your understanding that no more than 50% of the work can be subcontracted.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "Confirming your understanding that this is a research and development scheme and proposals must constitute R&D."
          ],
          "after": [
            "Whether initial due diligence checks on the lead applicant identifies any material issues that could prevent the application from proceeding."
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c06",
      "title": "competition windows repeated in stage 2",
      "kind": "submission timing",
      "pages": [
        5,
        5
      ],
      "before": "Following admission to the Approved Supplier List, applicants can submit a proposal against any of our live competition challenges.",
      "after": "Following admission to the Approved Supplier List, applicants can submit a proposal against any of our live competition challenges within the Competition Date windows.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "Stage 2 – Full Application"
          ],
          "after": []
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c07",
      "title": "flexigrant portal description revised",
      "kind": "portal description",
      "pages": [
        5,
        5
      ],
      "before": "Applicants will be invited to submit their Full Application on Flexigrant, an application portal which contains detailed instructions on the assessment questions and information required at the Full Application stage.",
      "after": "Applicants will be invited to submit their Full Application on Flexigrant, an application portal which contains instructions on the assessment questions and detailed information on each of the challenges.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [],
          "after": [
            "Due Diligence Check –Creditsafe ‘know your customer’ due diligence checks will be conducted on the lead applicant and all subcontractors involved."
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c08",
      "title": "outcome timing: within one month becomes one month after",
      "kind": "timing language",
      "pages": [
        2,
        2
      ],
      "before": "You will receive an outcome within one month of the deadline.",
      "after": "You will receive an outcome one month after the deadline.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [],
          "after": [
            "The dates for this financial year are:",
            "Batch 1:"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "c09",
      "title": "eligibility addressed directly to the applicant",
      "kind": "wording",
      "pages": [
        3,
        3
      ],
      "before": "The proposal must address one of the Scheme’s current challenges.",
      "after": "You must address one of the Scheme’s current challenges.",
      "context": [
        {
          "before": [
            "Eligibility",
            "To be eligible for this Scheme:"
          ],
          "after": [
            "The lead applicant must be a UK-registered company."
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://independenttribunal.org/forensics/sovereign-ai/"
}