Civil Service AI and Data Challenge an ‘unparalleled platform to drive meaningful change’ and ‘career-defining opportunity’, says UK government

Projection Constellation celebrate winning Civil Service AI & Data Challenge 2024

With entries now open for the fourth annual Civil Service AI and Data Challenge, the UK government has shone a spotlight on the positive impact of two previous winners’ projects and the professional development opportunities the Challenge offers civil servants.

The Challenge is a partnership between the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, the Cabinet Office, NTT DATA and Global Government Forum. It invites UK civil servants in all departments, professions and grades to develop innovative ideas for how AI and data can be used to improve public services and drive government priorities forward.  

Each year, the winning team receives £50,000 funding and technical support from NTT DATA UK, a technology company that sponsors the event, as well as backing from the senior civil servants who judge the competition.

In a blog published on the government website in October, Rachael Richards, data community lead at the Government Digital Service, highlighted two previous winners’ projects and the “unique opportunity” the challenge offers civil servants to “contribute directly to national objectives while developing skills, contacts and careers”.

Applications for this year’s Civil Service AI and Data Challenge are open now and close on Wednesday 5 November – apply now

Transforming ideas into national impact  

Nick Tomline, Earth observation higher data scientist at Natural England, led the AI4Peat project that won the competition in 2022. Three years on, his team has created the UK’s first comprehensive map of peatland drainage networks using artificial intelligence.  

“The AI4Peat project filled a critical national evidence gap,” Tomline explained. “Previously, mapping drainage systems in peat bogs was impossible at national scale due to manual mapping constraints. Our AI approach now enables us to prioritise restoration efforts for maximum environmental benefit.”  

As Richards writes, the project’s impact extends far beyond environmental mapping. By identifying where drainage networks exist, the team supports biodiversity net gain and reduces CO2 emissions through targeted peatland restoration.

“We’ve created an end-to-end pipeline that gives Natural England and Defra [the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs] capability to solve other geospatial problems at national scale,” Tomline said. “The ‘AI4’ approach we pioneered is now being applied across other government use cases, offering substantial efficiency opportunities.”  

Career-defining opportunities  

In the 2024 Competition, Project Constellation, led by John Saunders, a product manager at the Ministry of Justice, was the victor.

The aim of Project Constellation was to build a data platform providing a real-time, nationwide picture of the UK’s prison accommodation to help save officers’ time on the onerous task of allocating cells.

Richards writes that Saunders’ experience highlights how the challenge accelerates both professional and personal development.  

“The competition proved to be a catalyst for growth,” Saunders reflected. “I stepped outside my usual remit, took on unfamiliar challenges, and developed new skills – particularly in crafting compelling presentations for senior judge panels.” 

He added that: “Winning created opportunities to connect with senior leaders across the civil service and exchange ideas in a collaborative, high-energy environment. It’s had a tangible impact on my career trajectory.”  

The AI4Peat team echoed this sentiment. They told Richards that the Competition’s collaborative, cross-department approach enabled them to “break down traditional silos and address government priorities more effectively”.

“The competition provided a springboard for turning our innovative idea into a high-profile project, opening doors that couldn’t have come about through conventional means,” they said.  

As Richards’ noted: “Both winners emphasise the Challenge’s unique professional development benefits. Participants gain hands-on project management experience, team leadership skills, and the ability to present confidently to senior audiences. The competition also creates networking opportunities to work with senior civil service leaders you wouldn’t normally encounter.”

The Challenge is championed by Liz Kendall, secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology; Cat Little, chief operating officer of the civil service and Cabinet Office permanent secretary; the UK government’s chief data officer, Lindsay Mason; and Emran Mian, permanent secretary of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. These leaders help to support winning ideas towards implementation.

The team of seven judges includes Robert Thomson, chief digital, data and technology officer at the Home Office, Nina Cope, director general corporate, Ministry of Defence, and David Filmer, UK&I head of public sector at NTT DATA UK.