55579Conversational Interfaces to address Financial Distress caused by COVID-19ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKCOVID-19 has placed unprecedented strain on many peoples' finances, whilst at the same time creating new pressures on financial institutions. The number of people in debt is likely to increase significantly leaving many in financial distress and placing significant burdens on financial institutions. The resultant social, health, and economic costs threaten to be severe. This work programme provides a conversational interface for people in financial distress to enable them to engage with their financial institutions in a user-friendly way via frictionless, asynchronous, and automated technology. The benefits include providing people in financial distress with a supportive and sympathetic process that they can use in their own time. For the financial institutions, they benefit from greatly reduced costs of service. Commercial-strength Conversational Interfaces are simple to use because users can talk about their requirements and actions in everyday language. The ability to use text and voice, and supporting vernacular, slang, and poor grammar and spelling, makes the conversational interface non-discriminatory and accessible regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity, whether stationary or on the move. All segments of society are targeted as beneficiaries. The extension to this successful project is focused on building the commercial model and the go-to-market strategies and plan for rapid market entry. The new solution can now be demonstrated and will be tested with users, showcased to potential commercial partners, and input will be sought on the commercial model, including pricing. Given the complexity of the market, commercial partners will be identified that can bring the solution to the millions of people in debt in the UK. At least one initial commercial partner will be secured during the extension phase. In addition, market dynamics will be investigated in international markets, including in the US, as there are indications that the handling of people in debt has resonance with approaches in the UK.