Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Scotland can get hands-on data and AI support to help with short, practical projects that focus on a real business challenge in your organisation.

You'll work directly with data and AI experts to explore solutions tailored to your priorities, using your own data where possible. No in-house data expertise is required.

Your project may involve creating simple dashboards, analysing operational data, or testing lightweight predictive tools.

The aim is to help you uncover opportunities, improve efficiency, and build lasting confidence in using data and AI.

This is a free service funded by the Scottish Government as part of the National AI Adoption Programme.

You're eligible if your organisation:

• is a small to medium-sized business (SME) or social enterprise 
• is based in Scotland
• meets the Scottish Government definition of an SME (that is, has fewer than 250 employees)
• can provide staff time to manage and collaborate on the project
• agrees to share data securely if required
• has senior leadership backing for the project

Priority may be given to organisations that:

• are based in rural areas
• support marginalised communities
• are part of foundational or traditional sectors

This is a free service.

Small and medium-sized businesses and social enterprises in Scotland.

Each project should be short and focused, typically lasting a few weeks in total. This will include 2 to 5 days of expert input. The exact timeline will depend on your goals and the type of project.

Visit The Data Lab website for more information and to register your interest in a project.