Eros Innovation is seeking UK innovators with specialist, interoperable technologies for trusted cultural AI infrastructure across two connected tracks: rights, attribution and provenance; and identity, consent and cultural authenticity. Selected providers may pitch and develop a focused proof of concept using Eros-controlled assets, records and legal permissions, with potential progression to trial, commercial collaboration or contract.

Eros Innovation is an AI-driven media and technology company combining entertainment IP, digital infrastructure, cultural AI models and creative economy platforms. Its assets include film, character, music and cultural datasets, alongside synthetic-media and legacy-talent workstreams.
Eros needs trusted infrastructure that can connect authoritative rights and consent records to the full lifecycle from source asset and dataset through model adaptation, inference, output, licensing and distribution. It must also manage identity, likeness, voice and character rights, territory, term, restrictions, revocation and cultural consistency.
The opportunity is building upon, but much broader than, content creation.
Eros will supply controlled assets, records and legal basis; providers should supply technology that interprets, verifies and operationalises them securely.

Background

Eros Innovation invites solutions addressing one or both connected challenge tracks. Applicants may specialise in one track or propose an integrated approach spanning both.
Challenge 1 &ndash; Rights, Attribution &amp; Provenance:
<ul>
<li>Develop machine-readable rights and automated licensing capabilities that connect authoritative records directly to their source.</li>
<li>Track provenance across the full lifecycle: source asset, dataset, model or fine-tune, inference, output, licence and distribution.</li>
<li>Support revocation and downstream impact tracking, including identifying affected outputs and uses when permissions or rights change.</li>
<li>Enable provenance-aware model adaptation and inference-time attribution, watermarking or comparable methods, using open standards that avoid vendor lock-in.</li>
<li>Focus the initial pilot on rights discovery, permission, provenance and licence authorisation. Payments, wallets and settlement remain longer-term objectives.</li>
</ul>
Challenge 2 &ndash; Identity, Consent &amp; Cultural Authenticity:
<ul>
<li>Create infrastructure for managing identity, likeness, voice, performance and character rights across original, synthetic and derivative media.</li>
<li>Record and operationalise consent and permitted use, including applicable territory, term, platform or medium, restrictions and revocation.</li>
<li>Provide evidence that each use is properly authorised and maintain cultural authenticity and consistency across a character, asset and the wider Eros library.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Solutions should show their suitability to be piloted via a Common Assessment Use Case:
Eros will provide successful applicants with a sample Eros-controlled film and fictional character (&ldquo;Character X&rdquo;), together with authoritative rights and consent records. Applicants assess whether Character X can be used in a specified campaign across defined territories, media and term, using a declared AI model/workflow.
The solution should:
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Verify character, likeness, voice and derivative rights.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Check territory, medium, term, restrictions and AI/model permissions.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Return&nbsp;Approve / Deny / Abstain&nbsp;with source-linked evidence.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Flag cases requiring human/legal review.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Produce an auditable decision record.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Track the effect of subsequent rights or consent changes/revocation.</li>
</ul>
Eros will provide three test scenarios:&nbsp;one permitted, one prohibited and one ambiguous. This will test whether the solution genuinely interprets the underlying rights rather than simply producing an approval.
Dimensions to consider include the accuracy of rights interpretation, quality and traceability of supporting evidence, handling of ambiguous cases, auditability and explainability of decisions, and identification of scenarios requiring human or legal review. Applicants should also consider consistency across different use cases and the ability to respond appropriately to changes in rights or consent status.
The initial sample will provide a practical benchmark, but proposed capabilities should be scalable across different assets, rights types, territories, platforms and cultural AI workflows.

The Challenge

The solution should:
<ul>
<li>Interpret Eros-supplied assets, authoritative rights or consent records and legal permissions.</li>
<li>Return approve, deny or abstain for a declared use, with source-linked evidence and human review where needed.</li>
<li>Enforce or evidence consent, territory, term, restrictions, licensing and revocation, and produce an auditable receipt.</li>
<li>Solutions should expose secure APIs or equivalent interoperable interfaces capable of integration into Eros-controlled policy, orchestration and governance infrastructure.</li>
<li>Integrate into Eros-controlled workflows rather than replace technology already on Eros&rsquo;s roadmap.</li>
<li>Demonstrate measurable outcomes through a focused pilot applicable beyond the initial sample use case.</li>
</ul>

Functional Requirements

The solution should:
<ul>
<li>Use inputs with a demonstrable lawful basis, authorisation, source linkage, provenance and declared purpose.</li>
<li>Support traceability across assets, datasets, model adaptation, inference, outputs, licensing and distribution.</li>
<li>Interoperate through open standards, avoid vendor lock-in and support geographic governance and cross-jurisdiction controls.</li>
<li>Provide reproducible evidence and support independent or negative testing within agreed security boundaries.</li>
<li>Protect Eros data and IP; no Eros asset, prompt, output or evaluation material may train provider or cross-customer models without written authorisation.</li>
</ul>

Technical Requirements

The solution should:
<ul>
<li>Operate securely with commercially sensitive, rights-protected assets and Eros-supplied records. Data outputs ownership will be agreed between parties.</li>
<li>Keep all pilot data within agreed security boundaries and use separately approved routes for any Eros-controlled model adaptation.</li>
<li>Support UK-led testing and future cross-border deployment where legal basis, permissions and controls differ by jurisdiction.</li>
<li>Avoid unnecessary disclosure of confidential IP at application stage.</li>
</ul>

Operating Conditions

The solution must/should not:
<ul>
<li>Use data without a clear lawful basis, authorisation, source linkage, provenance or declared purpose.</li>
<li>Train or fine-tune provider-owned or cross-customer models on Eros materials without written authorisation.</li>
<li>Duplicate or replace platform components already being developed within Eros&rsquo;s roadmap.</li>
<li>Require payouts, wallets or settlement as part of the initial pilot.</li>
<li>Be a generic content-generation platform without a clear rights, provenance, identity, consent or authenticity capability.</li>
</ul>

Out of Scope

The proposed proof-of-concept structure is approximately three months, with potential support of &pound;25,000&ndash;&pound;50,000 per selected solution, subject to scope and approval. Eros are looking for up to 4 solutions to pilot. Before provider selection, Eros and the successful party will confirm selected assets and use cases, authoritative rights and consent records, interfaces, legal basis, security boundaries, success criteria and measurable outputs. The first pilot will prioritise rights discovery, permission, provenance and licence authorisation.

Cost Requirement

Successful applicants will be invited to pitch to Eros Innovation and Innovate UK Business Connect. Selected solution(s) may be trialled through short pilots, with potential for further adoption, licensing, partnership, commercial engagement or investment if successful.
The benefits package may include:
<ul>
<li>Support from Innovate UK Business Connect through the iX process.</li>
<li>The opportunity to work with Eros Innovation, a global entertainment and AI company with extensive film, music, character and cultural assets and international market reach.</li>
<li>Access to Eros Innovation&rsquo;s creative, AI and commercial teams to scope a focused pilot.</li>
<li>Opportunity to demonstrate technology in cultural AI, rights-aware content and synthetic media authenticity use cases.</li>
<li>Potential collaboration with a challenge holder active in film, music, AI models, transmedia characters and creative economy infrastructure.</li>
</ul>

Rewards and Market Opportunity

<ul>
<li>Launch of the Competition: 06 Oct 2026</li>
<li>Q&amp;A session: 28th Oct 2026 (tbc)</li>
<li>Deadline for applications: 13 Nov 2026</li>
<li>Selection and notification of finalists: 04 Dec 2026</li>
<li>Date of Pitch Day: late Dec/early Jan (tbc)</li>
<li>Pilot scoping: following pitch day and selection of preferred solution provider(s)</li>
<li>Pilot duration: expected to be approximately 3 months (Feb-May), subject to agreed scope and commercial arrangements</li>
</ul>

Timescales

Entrants to this competition must be:
<ul>
<li>Established businesses, academic institutions, start-ups, SMEs, or individual entrepreneurs</li>
<li>UK based or intending to set up a UK base</li>
</ul>
Applications will be assessed on:
<ul>
<li>Relevance to one or both challenge areas</li>
<li>Demonstrable lawful basis, authorisation, source linkage, provenance and declared purpose for data used.</li>
<li>Credibility, maturity and feasibility of the proposed solution</li>
<li>Ability to demonstrate value through a focused pilot</li>
<li>Contribution to creator rights, trusted authenticity, provenance and/or sustainable AI workflows</li>
<li>Suitability for creative industry application and commercial pathway with Eros Innovation</li>
</ul>

Eligibility and Assessment Criteria

Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.
Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.
Where necessary, a mutual non-disclosure agreement (MNDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder. (This would be expected to be after company selection; it is suggested that details of IP be not disclosed initially; focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).
Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect do not take any share of IP ownership or enter commercial ventures through the iX programme.
Eros Innovation will negotiate any specific terms and conditions required with successful solution providers.

IP and Potential Commercial Route

The application form for this challenge will require applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions - Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property &ndash; each with a limit of 300 words.
Optionally, up to 3 supporting documents can be attached to the application. We recommend that supporting documents are limited to those which are directly relevant to the application. Please note that applications with no supporting document will not receive any penalty in assessment. Supporting documents which the Assessment Panel deems to be superfluous may be disregarded. Examples of useful additional documents include product images or short specification sheets, slide decks detailing the solution and/or company background, or solution case studies. Any questions relating to the challenge or application process will be answered by IUKBC and Eros teams as needed.
We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle &ldquo;Stage Complete&rdquo; for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked &ldquo;Submit Idea&rdquo; at the bottom of the summary page.

Application and Technical Guidance

By submitting an application to this Innovation Exchange (iX) challenge, you acknowledge and agree that the information you provide will be shared with Innovate UK Business Connect and the challenge holder for the purposes of assessment and selection. All information submitted will be handled in confidence and shared only with those involved in the assessment and selection process under appropriate confidentiality expectations.
Please consider the level of detail you share in your submission to ensure it aligns with your own internal confidentiality or disclosure policies.
A selected panel of assessors will review and score your application. The panel of assessors will meet and agree a consensus score. Successful solutions will be selected by the challenge holder. Success will be based upon total consensus scores, a portfolio approach and capacity within the challenge holder&rsquo;s organisation to carry out the projects.
For more information on how Innovate UK Business Connect handles personal data, please refer to our&nbsp;<a href="https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/privacy-policy/" target="_new">Privacy Policy</a>.

Trusted Cultural AI Infrastructure: Film, Character & Rights

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Trusted Cultural AI Infrastructure: Film, Character & Rights