New accelerator TiPS to provide firms financial support for AI and lawtech

A range of support packages are now available as part of a £1.8 million accelerator project, Technology in Professional Services (TiPS), led by Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), working with Oxford Brookes University and Hyperscale Group Limited.

The TiPS accelerator is part of a programme called Next Generation Professional and Financial Services, delivered by Innovate UK and ESRC, which aims to help professional service sectors develop and use digital technologies.

The Law Society is one of the TiPS project partners, advising on the design and delivery of the project.

What’s involved

Mid-tier and smaller firms are being sought to work with researchers and accounting and law specialists on the three support ‘pathways’ to access practical, tailored help for firms at different stages of technology adoption.

The first support pathway – Path A – offers firms that have minimal experience of advanced digital technology the chance to exploit the technology they already have, or to easily access to enhance service delivery, such as Microsoft 365 tools like Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI.

Over a few months, the firms will be supported in applying technology relevant to their business to help with a particular practice area or process.

Path B is for firms ready to take on a new technology and apply it to an important professional service or business task.

This support package will help in the initial adoption phase as firms’ bed in sector-specific solutions over eight to 10 months.

Path C will support firms already relatively experienced in technology adoption in projects to extend or deepen the use of the technology over 12 months or more.

The time commitment varies from path to path, but is around 20 to 30 hours for Paths A and B.

How to apply

Any UK accountancy or law firm interested in registering to get involved or that wants to talk to researchers about the project is encouraged to visit the TiPS Accelerator website and complete an expression of interest form.

The deadlines for applications are:

• Thursday 7 December 2023 for Paths A and C
• Wednesday 31 January 2024 for Path B

Learn more about the paths

The primary target for support is practising lawyers and accountants, rather than in-house technical staff.

TiPS would especially like to contact organisations supporting underserved clients (law centres, for example).

Research team

The research team is led by Professor Martin Spring and includes Professors James Faulconbridge and Katy Mason from Lancaster University.

They are working with Professor Tim Vorley, Dr Tzameret Rubin, Dr Francisco Trincado Munoz and Hilary Smyth-Allen from Oxford Brookes University, and Derek Southall from Hyperscale Group Limited.