Business AI·Free
Business AI ROI Benchmark 2026
Benchmark of realised AI ROI across 340 UK companies, by sector, function and deployment maturity.
Published 20 Jun 202646 pagesVersion v1.0
Executive summary
What this report covers
Median payback on production AI deployments in UK companies is 11 months. Financial services and professional services lead; manufacturing lags. Poor data foundations remain the largest single blocker.
Key findings
Headline conclusions
- Median payback: 11 months across 340 UK firms.
- Top quartile achieves payback in under 5 months.
- Financial services and professional services lead adoption.
- 70% of failed pilots trace to data quality, not model choice.
Who should read this
Intended audience
- CIOs, CDOs and CTOs at UK firms
- Board directors and audit committees
- Management consultants and advisors
Table of contents
Inside the 46-page report
- 011. Sample and methodology
- 022. Sector benchmarks
- 033. Deployment maturity ladder
- 044. What top-quartile firms do differently
- 055. Common failure modes
Preview
Sample pages
Frequently asked questions
How were companies sampled?+
Stratified by sector and revenue band, drawn from ONS classifications and cross-referenced with Companies House filings.
Download the full report
Enter your email to get the full PDF plus the weekly UK AI energy briefing.