The UK government launched the first procurement competitions under its £100 million Sovereign AI R&D Procurement Scheme on August 31, 2026, opening four challenges that invite British AI startups to build systems for the NHS, defence, computing efficiency, and AI agent security. Chancellor John Healey MP announced the launch at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in North Carolina, according to a joint release from HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. The scheme is the…