About the call
Events must focus primarily on TinyML for resource-constrained, embedded or edge systems and address a clear scientific, technical or deployment challenge. They should connect researchers, developers, hardware providers, industry, policymakers, public bodies or end users.
Proposals should go beyond a conventional seminar. Talks may be included, but the programme must involve participants through technical discussion, hands-on experimentation, demonstrations, benchmarking, co-design, roadmapping, challenge definition or consortium building.
Technical and scientific scope
Topics may include:
Algorithms and learning
Efficient and specialist models; compression and optimisation; quantisation, pruning, distillation and low-rank adaptation; adaptive, continual, decentralised and collaborative AI, including Node Learning; multi-agent intelligence; small and specialised models; GenAI at the edge; uncertainty, robustness and reliability; neuromorphic and event-driven learning.
Hardware and systems
Microcontrollers, Edge AI; RISC-V and low-power accelerators; sensors and intelligent sensing; memory and data movement; hardware–software co-design; analogue, in-memory, neuromorphic, heterogeneous and hybrid computing; energy harvesting and battery-free intelligence; chip design, fabrication and deployment toolchains.
Whole-system efficiency
Energy, latency, memory, communication and reliability across sensing, computing and actuation; benchmarking and reproducible evaluation on physical hardware.
Tiny Physical AI
Robotics, drones and autonomous systems; collaborative intelligence; adaptive and heterogeneous computing; and real-world system requirements.
Reliable deployment
Resilience to noise and drift, lifecycle energy, sustainability, datasets, security, standards, accessibility and routes from prototypes to dependable systems.
Other topics are eligible where they make a clear contribution to TinyML UK research or practice.
Event objectives and formats
Events should achieve one or more of the following:
- advance an open TinyML research or engineering question;
- connect algorithms, hardware, systems and applications;
- share tools, datasets, testbeds, demonstrators or deployment experience;
- develop benchmarks, roadmaps, position papers, standards or funding proposals;
- create interdisciplinary, industry–academia or international collaborations;
- advance TinyML and Decentralised AI in UK.
- bridge Academia and Industry.
Suitable formats include technical workshops, hands-on tutorials, hackathons, benchmarking sprints, hardware–software clinics, testbed events, sandpits, focused expert meetings and joint events with industry or other organisations. Co-funded events and contributions from international technology partners, policymakers and government are encouraged.
Expected outputs
Each event must produce at least one substantive output, such as:
- a technical report, policy report, roadmap or challenge statement;
- a benchmark, dataset specification or reproducibility protocol;
- shared code, learning material or demonstration;
- a position paper, consortium, standards contribution or follow-on proposal.
Organisers need to provide TinyML UK with a concise event report, final agenda, participant profile, expenditure statement and suitable communication material. Outputs and follow-on activity should be reported within three months of the event.
Funding
Awards of up to £5,000 may support reasonable direct event costs.
Eligible costs may include, e.g.:
- venue hire and catering;
- reasonable UK travel and accommodation;
- accessibility and caring costs;
- event materials, consumables and equipment hire;
- technical support, facilitation, event-specific licences or cloud resources
Funding cannot support
- institutional overheads;
- academic staff time;
- general-purpose or capital equipment;
- unrelated research;
- significant prizes or alcohol;
- activity already fully funded elsewhere.
The budget must be proportionate and clearly justified.
Eligibility and participation
The lead applicant must be based at a UK organisation able to receive and administer the award. Applications may come from universities, research organisations, companies, start-ups, public or third-sector bodies, professional organisations and technical communities, but an academic partner must contribute to the event.
Joint and cross-sector proposals are encouraged. Participants from international tech industry participants are encouraged
Events should be open to relevant TinyML UK members and reach beyond the host’s existing group. Proposals must describe how they will support inclusion and accessibility, and use transparent participant selection where places are limited.
What to include
Applications should describe:
Applicants should identify any dependency on specific hardware, datasets, facilities, licences or intellectual property.
Assessment criteria
Proposals will be assessed on:
Applicants should identify any dependency on specific hardware, datasets, facilities, licences or intellectual property.
Successful organisers need to agree the event date and programme with TinyML UK, acknowledge the Network, follow the approved budget and complete the required reporting and financial reconciliation. Hosts remain responsible for safeguarding, health and safety, data protection, permissions, ethics and intellectual property.
Apply to host
Bring the TinyML community together
Submit the online application form by 5pm on 16th of Oct 2026 (extended).