AITEAL awarded £600,000 CivTech innovation funding

We're delighted to share that, after almost a year of development, AITEAL has secured £600,000 in investment through the CivTech programme. 

AITEAL is a partnership between Community Enterprise, Fèisean nan Gàidheal and Northcode Digital. It aims to deliver a major national digital and data project addressing one of the main challenges facing Gaelic in the digital age: the lack of high-quality language data.

The project will help build essential digital resources for Gaelic. It will also give communities a voice and a meaningful role in shaping how new technologies are developed and used.

Through Breeze Digital and Bold Studio, we'll support the technical management of the project and lead a national campaign encouraging people from Gaelic-speaking communities across Scotland to contribute.

As well as bringing long-term benefits for Gaelic, AITEAL gives us an exciting opportunity to build expertise in the growing field of digital and AI innovation for the public good. As the project develops, we see strong potential to build on this work and create new opportunities that bring together community participation, cultural heritage and technology.

Commenting on the funding, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan said: 
“The lack of data on Scottish Gaelic presents a significant barrier in developing technologies for Gaelic speakers. AITEAL aims to overcome this, ensuring Gaelic language and culture thrive. 

“This exciting project will enrich communities, safeguard cultural heritage and unlock economic opportunities, providing lasting benefits for Gaelic speakers. 

“AITEAL has the potential to be of international significance as it can provide a model which other languages can follow to overcome digital inequality.” 

Read the full press release from Scottish Government.