Innovator Award Shortlist
Sponsored by
Home Office AI Research and Development Government Programme
Home Office
The Home Office AI R&D Programme and Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE), in partnership with DSIT and the Alan Turing Institute, led the Deepfake Detection Challenge, an ambitious cross-sector initiative tackling one of today’s most urgent digital threats. Deepfakes are increasingly used to create synthetic child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commit fraud, and spread disinformation, posing significant challenges for law enforcement.
The 12-week innovation sprint brought together over 150 experts from government, law enforcement, industry, and academia, testing solutions against real-world operational datasets of two million assets. Participants developed tools ranging from operationally-ready products to early-stage proofs of concept. A pioneering global benchmarking framework was created to objectively evaluate tools from the UK, US, and Singapore, providing end users with transparent, evidence-based performance metrics for procurement and deployment.
The challenge delivered measurable impact: one tool is now being procured by UK policing to detect generative CSAM, rolling out across all Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) to protect victims and reduce investigative workload, and could save millions of pounds annually. The initiative also stimulated domestic and international innovation, fostered collaboration, and established a model for tackling other high-risk AI threats.
This project demonstrates leadership, creativity, and integrity, delivering practical, scalable solutions to emerging digital threats while setting a new global standard for deepfake detection and benchmarking.
One Public Estate
Cabinet Office
In 2021, the South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership—comprising Police and Crime Commissioners, HM Prison and Probation Service, Ministry of Justice, NHS England, and other public and voluntary sector bodies—faced a dual challenge: reducing reoffending and addressing the urgent need for affordable housing. Many prisoners lacked the skills and opportunities to reintegrate into society, while local communities struggled with housing shortages.
The One Public Estate programme stepped in to support the Partnership with a bold, innovative approach to tackling both issues. Dedicated support, alongside a £250k grant was awarded to the Partnership, enabling the launch of a pilot programme: Prisoners Building Homes (PBH).
PBH is transforming rehabilitation into regeneration. Prisoners are trained to build modular, low-carbon homes on public land, providing safe housing for vulnerable communities while gaining skills and employment opportunities that reduce reoffending. This is also addressing broader societal challenges: helping to build skills in the construction sector, supporting Net Zero targets, and boosting Small Medium Enterprises in modular construction.
The pilot successfully upskilled over 100 prisoners, with 89% securing construction employment upon release. Reoffending rates among participants have dropped to 0%, compared with the national average of 35%. With over 80 homes delivered to date, over 700 more are in the pipeline, involving 10 house builders, 10 prisons, and more than 20 local authority and third-sector landowners. Homes are energy-efficient, low-carbon, relocatable, and can be delivered in under 16 weeks. At £100,000 per unit, this is forecast to generate an estimated £29 million long-term social value by 2029.
By combining skill development, employment, sustainable housing, and social impact, PBH demonstrates the power of cross-sector collaboration. It benefits prisoners, local communities, government, and the housing sector, creating lasting change and a replicable model for future rehabilitation and regeneration initiatives.
Splink Team
Ministry of Justice
The MoJ Analytical Services team developed Splink, a free, open-source software package for deduplicating and linking large datasets, supporting the government’s National Data Strategy. Originally created to link MoJ datasets lacking a shared unique identifier, Splink enables more accurate reoffending data and cross-system analysis, overcoming challenges of duplication and siloed data.
Since its first release in 2020, Splink has been downloaded over 12 million times and adopted by central government departments, local authorities, NHS bodies, charities, universities, and international organisations including the UNHCR, EMA, and governments in Germany, Canada, Australia, and Chile. It works on datasets 1,000 times larger and 100 times faster than alternative software, with a positive match rate rising from 83% to 92% at MoJ. Its transparent, explainable methodology allows users to measure bias, unlike proprietary “black box” solutions.
Splink has improved data quality across key government assets, including the census, Demographic Index, Business Index, NHS patient data, and justice datasets. It has enabled better data-driven decision-making, from enrolling additional families for Free School Meals to monitoring rough sleeping and managing debt repayment.
The software has delivered significant cost savings, avoiding licensing fees and contractor costs estimated at over £2 million per year, with wider government savings likely in the tens of millions. Splink exemplifies innovation, openness, and cross-government impact, benefiting the UK and international communities.