TechWM x B13 Digitalisation Programme launched 50 funded AI feasibility reports
For a long time, bespoke software development has been reserved for businesses with deep pockets and dedicated IT teams. If you run an SME, you probably make do with off-the-shelf platforms, work around their limitations, and pay monthly for features you don’t need.
B13’s mission is to democratise access to AI and software development, making it affordable, accessible, and commercially viable for SMEs by eliminating large capital expenditures. And this year, with the launch of the TechWM x B13 Digital Accelerator, we are taking this further.
The Problem
When we partnered with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce to survey local businesses, the data confirmed:
- 40% of businesses are blocked from AI or digitalisation adoption due to budget constraints
- 43% struggle with project delays or a lack of internal expertise
These statistics represent real local businesses missing out on growth, not because of a lack of appetite, but because the technology market was not built with them in mind.
Rethinking How Software Gets Built
The traditional model of bespoke software development has three well-known flaws for smaller businesses: high upfront cost, long delivery timelines, and a tendency to build more than is actually needed.
B13’s approach is built around removing those barriers. Through our trademarked Venture Mapping process, we work with businesses to fully map their operations, define clear outcomes, and deliver software within a fixed scope and price.
Last year, we started building Cycl, our AI-enabled patent-pending tool. The goal was to make software development even more accessible, on a simple monthly subscription, with no large capital required.
The result is software that is built exactly around existing workflows.
The West Midlands Digital Accelerator
B13 is now taking a significant next step. In partnership with TechWM, we are launching the West Midlands Digital Accelerator, offering 50 funded AI feasibility reports to SMEs across the region.
A feasibility report is a practical starting point for any business that suspects technology could help them, but is not sure where to begin, what it would cost, or whether it would actually deliver a return. We work through that together, defining what is possible, which tools are right, and what a realistic roadmap could look like.
The funded reports mean 50 local SMEs will start or continue their digitalisation journey with a roadmap of choices. There is no obligation to proceed by 5 of the roadmaps with be eligible for match funding which will be announced on July 1st.
Practical tips for starting your AI journey as an SME
In our experience, the businesses that get the most from technology investment are those that are clear on the problem they are trying to solve before thinking about the solution.
Before approaching any technology partner, it is worth asking:
- Where in our business do we lose the most time to manual processes?
- What decisions would we make differently if we had better data?
- Is our customer-facing speed – quotes, responses, fulfilment – as efficient and professional as it could be?
- Are we paying for software that does 80% of what we need, but missing the 20% that would make a real difference?
If these questions resonate then, a feasibility report can be a good way to ‘dip your toe’ into exploring AI outcomes without the financial commitment.
To find out more or apply for a funded feasibility report through the West Midlands Digital Accelerator, visit https://techwm.com/project/west-midlands-digitalisation-program/ or email hi@b13.ai
Article provided by B13. For more information please contact the email address above.
