Nigel, our Smart Data AI agent, has been named a runner-up in the Smart Data Challenge Prize.
The programme gave us the opportunity to demonstrate how Nigel can help people save money, reduce stress, and build financial resilience by turning scattered paperwork into simple, timely actions.
Nigel Smart Data Challenge Innovators Insight video, by the Open Data Institute and the Department for Business and Trade
Why Smart Data Matters
Across the UK, many people find it difficult to keep on top of routine personal admin.
Personal information is often spread across portals, apps, email inboxes, and paper records.
Important documents such as bank statements, insurance policies, and energy bills can easily be lost or overlooked, leading to missed renewal dates, missed savings, and higher household costs.
Backed by the UK Government and delivered by Challenge Works with Smart Data Foundry, NayaOne, and the Open Data Institute, the programme supports products that safely connect data across sectors such as banking, energy, insurance, property, and utilities.
Eleven finalist teams were selected, including Nigel. Each received funding and access to a secure Smart Data Sandbox that simulated a full year of life for thousands of households and small businesses.
Nigel: A Practical, People-First Smart Data Assistant
Nigel – short for “Now I’ve Got Everything Labelled” – is a practical example of how Smart Data can support households, including those who are digitally underconfident.
Nigel brings information together in one secure place, then turns it into clear, actionable steps.
A Secure Digital Vault
Nigel provides a private space to store and organise administrative documents from any sector. Information can be:
Uploaded as digital files
Captured from paper letters using OCR
Shared directly by providers through Smart Data schemes
Once added, documents are standardised so they can be used and compared together.
Smart Skills That Work With Permission
Nigel uses AI-powered Smart Skills to help people stay organised. With permission, Nigel can:
File and label documents
Find information instantly
Compare tariffs, policies, and statements
Remind households about key dates
Prepare summaries of relevant information
Share documents securely with trusted people
Importantly, Nigel is sector-agnostic. It can compare insurance with MOT records, review home cover using EPC or Land Registry information, or check energy usage against available tariffs.
This cross-sector capability is what distinguishes Nigel from single-sector tools.
Nigel also supports vulnerable users. It includes shared-access features so trusted third parties can help with administrative tasks, and educational summaries developed with the financial education charity Money Ready.
Why Nigel Was Recognised
After demonstrating its prototype in the Smart Data Sandbox, Nigel was named one of two runner-ups from the eleven finalist teams.
The prize highlighted Nigel’s potential to:
Interested In A Better Route For Life Admin?
Explore Nigel to see how Beyond Encryption is approaching secure document management, Smart Data, and guided next steps for important life admin.
Help households save money by identifying cheaper tariffs and unclaimed entitlements
Reduce stress by providing a clear overview of household information
Support financial resilience through clear, timely guidance
Offer unbiased recommendations without commission or advertising
Deliver responsible AI with human oversight and privacy by design
"Nigel shows how Smart Data can be applied in a way that is practical, human, and genuinely helpful for everyday life. The focus on consent, clarity, and inclusion really stood out."
Programme judge, Smart Data Challenge Prize
The judges saw a tool that could turn scattered household information into practical next steps, with consent and inclusion built in from the start.
"Smart Data only works in practice when households can turn scattered information into clear next steps. The sandbox let us test that idea at scale, and this result gives us room to keep building Nigel with that standard in mind."
Paul Holland, Founder and CEO, Beyond Encryption (Mailock)
That recognition sits alongside wider government work to make Smart Data a practical part of everyday household life.
Alignment With the UK’s Smart Data Strategy
Nigel was developed with national priorities in mind. Our finalist submission showed how Nigel can:
Support financial wellbeing by helping people understand and optimise everyday spending
Improve digital inclusion by being accessible for digitally underconfident users
Contribute to government digital transformation without excluding those who rely on paper
Help organisations reduce paper usage and support net zero ambitions
Reinforce consumer protection through consent-based sharing and strong safeguards
Nigel’s sector-agnostic model means it can complement initiatives across financial services, energy, pensions, and public services, supporting work led by regulators such as the FCA, Ofgem, and the ICO.
Funding and Validation for Nigel’s Development
The runner-up award provides both funding and validation to accelerate Nigel’s development.
"Runner-up funding gives us a clear path to develop Nigel's cross-sector skills further, so people can compare tariffs, policies, and renewal dates from one trusted place."
Articles, press releases, research and resources by Team B.E. are the result of a collaborative process involving our experts in digital identity, encryption, authentication, media, and customer engagement. Learn more about our team on our
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