Tech & Innovation

AI, fintech, deeptech, and the technologies reshaping British industry.

• NCSC Annual Review 2026: 80 Nationally Significant Cyber Attacks and What Small Businesses Should Learn (Tech & Innovation, 5 November 2026)
  The NCSC's Annual Review 2026, published on 3 November, says it received 1,831 cyber attack reports between September 2025 and August 2026, of which 337 needed its support and 80 were nationally significant. Most successful attacks exploited familiar weaknesses.
• Cyber Essentials First Step Fund: Small Businesses Can Now Get 75% Off Certification (Tech & Innovation, 4 November 2026)
  UK small and medium-sized businesses can now get a 75% discount on Cyber Essentials certification, paying around £80 to £125 plus VAT, through a £2.4m First Step Fund that opened on 3 November 2026 and runs until March 2027 or until the money runs out.
• Barnsley AI Upskilling Fund: Four Projects Share £800,000 to Train Builders, Care Staff and Small Businesses (Tech & Innovation, 3 November 2026)
  Four training projects in Barnsley will share over £800,000 from the government's AI Upskilling Challenge Fund, announced on 3 November 2026, including one helping 20 small businesses adopt AI safely. The pilots could shape a national model.
• AI Use Among UK Businesses Doubles to 32%, Government AI Adoption Survey 2026 Finds (Tech & Innovation, 2 November 2026)
  32% of UK businesses with five or more employees used at least one AI technology in 2026, up from 16% in 2025, according to the government's AI Adoption Survey published on 29 October. Skills gaps remain the biggest barrier.
• R&D Tax Relief: Claim Notification Form Scrapped from April 2027, With a Simpler Additional Information Form to Follow (Tech & Innovation, 1 November 2026)
  Companies claiming R&D tax relief will no longer need to send HMRC a claim notification form for claims made on or after 1 April 2027, the government confirmed in Budget 2026. HMRC will also simplify the Additional Information Form from autumn 2027.
• Mandatory VAT E-Invoicing from 1 April 2029: What HMRC's New Roadmap Means for Your Business (Tech & Innovation, 30 October 2026)
  HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade published a roadmap on 28 October 2026 confirming that all VAT-registered businesses must be able to issue and receive VAT invoices as e-invoices from 1 April 2029, using the Peppol network.
• Critical PHP Security Flaw: What the NCSC Alert Means for Small Business Websites (Tech & Innovation, 28 October 2026)
  The NCSC has warned that two PHP flaws (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) could let attackers run commands on web servers, and urges organisations to update to the fixed PHP versions 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 or 8.5.12.
• British Business Bank Commits £180m to Six AI and Deeptech Funds (Tech & Innovation, 27 October 2026)
  The British Business Bank has committed £180m across six AI and deeptech venture funds, from pre-seed to growth stage. Here is what was reported and what it means for founders seeking capital.
• 30% of UK Businesses Now Use AI, and Admin Roles Feel It Most (Tech & Innovation, 8 October 2026)
  30% of UK businesses used at least one AI technology in September 2026, up from 9% in September 2023, according to the ONS. Among larger firms using AI, 38% said administrative and clerical roles were most affected.
• UK Fintech Funding in H1 2026: Second Globally, but at a Decade Low (Tech & Innovation, 24 August 2026)
  UK fintechs raised $1.8 billion of venture capital across 181 deals in the first half of 2026, according to Innovate Finance, while KPMG's wider measure fell to £1.8 billion, its lowest since 2016.
• How to Start Using AI in a Small Business: A Practical 2026 Guide (Tech & Innovation, 4 August 2026)
  29% of UK businesses with fewer than 10 staff used AI in September 2026, and most users check AI outputs before relying on them. Here is a step-by-step way to adopt AI safely, starting with one task.
• Is the UK Still a Global Fintech Leader? What the 2025 and 2026 Funding Data Shows (Tech & Innovation, 28 July 2026)
  The UK was the world's second-largest fintech investment market in 2025, with $3.6 billion raised, and kept that place in the first half of 2026 with $1.8 billion. Here is what the ranking means for founders, and how the FCA's sandbox can help.