The Open Innovation Team (OIT) has launched the AI Adoption Accelerator – a practical, people-first programme that helps civil servants turn curiosity about generative AI into safer, faster and higher-quality ways of working. Rooted in our experience of delivering more than 150 policy projects for departments since 2016, the Accelerator combines expert guidance with hands-on coaching so teams can adopt AI responsibly and build lasting capability.

Why now?

Civil servants are experimenting with AI, but without structured support many see patchy results, new security risks and concerns about deskilling. By showing officials how to test AI on their real tasks – and how to judge its output critically – we bridge the gap between enthusiasm and reliable delivery.

What we offer

Our modular support can be booked individually or as a package:

• Planning and strategy – senior workshops to set clear guard-rails, align tools with priorities and address obstacles.
• Hands-on support – facilitated sessions where teams practice prompting on live cases and refine workflows.
• Resources and tools – practical guides covering effective prompting, stakeholder analysis and safe data handling.
• AI Pioneers bootcamps – two-day intensive sessions that train internal champions to support colleagues long after we leave.

Early results

Discovery workshops with the Department for Education have already boosted confidence and identified tangible use cases for policy and operations. Alice Douglas, Deputy Director for Support and Rewarding Teachers and Leaders, said:

The workshop was well tailored to our work, with examples that rang true and reflected day to day tasks. We all learnt a huge amount both about the possibilities but also the risks and how to put guard rails around our AI use.