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AI consultancy in Northern Ireland that builds working systems
We are Blue Canvas, an AI consultancy in Northern Ireland, based in Derry. We work with small and medium-sized businesses here, in Great Britain and in the Republic of Ireland. We find the jobs where AI is worth using, build and test the workflows, train the people who will use them and, if you want, keep them running each month. The first call is free and takes 15 minutes. Our AI audit is a fixed £750.
Blue Canvas is an independent consultancy. Naming a tool here does not mean its maker endorses or partners with us.
What we do
Pick the part you need: a practical plan, a working system, team training or ongoing support. Working in the Republic of Ireland? See our AI consultants in Ireland
AI audit
A structured look at how work moves through your business, which tasks are worth changing and what the risks are. You get a ranked, written plan for a fixed £750.
Built around real work
Build and automate
We build the workflows you approve across Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Codex and Power Automate, connect them to the tools you already use and test them with the people who will run them.
Connected to your existing tools
Training & adoption
Practical training for your team on the tools and workflows they will actually use, with clear rules for checking output and handling business data.
Skills that stay in-house
Managed AI
If you would rather not maintain the systems yourself, we monitor, fix and improve the agreed workflows each month. From £250 a month plus a one-off setup fee from £1,750.
Explore our services and guides
Plan
- AI strategy consultant: a plan for where AI fits in your business, what to do first and what to leave alone.
- AI readiness assessment: a free checklist for one task, then our £750 fixed-price AI audit if the task is worth a proper look. The audit gives you a ranked, written plan. The plan is yours, to use with us, your own team or another supplier.
- AI consultant for small business: the same approach for sole traders and owner-run firms.
Build
- AI implementation services: we build the workflows you approve, connect them to the tools you already use and test them with the people who will run them.
- OpenClaw AI agents: one agent, one clear job, with every connection documented and an owner on your side.
- AI lead generation: prospect research, enrichment and follow-up workflows.
- AI automation agency: managed AI. We monitor, fix and improve the agreed workflows each month, from £250 a month plus a one-off setup fee from £1,750.
Train
- AI courses in Northern Ireland: practical training on the tools and workflows your team will actually use, including ChatGPT for business teams.
- Microsoft Copilot training: Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams, on site across Northern Ireland or remotely.
- AI sales training: hands-on sessions for sales teams on lead research, outreach and pipeline workflows.
- AI policy template: a free template for setting the rules on how staff use AI tools at work.
Security guides
- Cyber security for small business: where to start if you are not sure what you need.
- Cyber security audit: what to include when scoping a review of accounts, devices, settings and recovery with your IT provider.
- Microsoft 365 security audit: checks to discuss with your administrator before a Copilot rollout.
- Cyber Essentials checklist: an independent guide to the five technical controls and the official assessment resources. Certification is handled through IASME and its licensed certification bodies.
- Cyber security audit checklist: a practical companion for gathering evidence and prioritising fixes.
Your sector
Practical starting points for accountants, estate agents, solicitors and construction companies.
Working in the Republic of Ireland? See AI consultants for Ireland.
What clients say
“Our team enjoyed having Blue Canvas consultancy to help us make the most of our AI subscriptions.”
“The whole process was easy and straightforward, Phil was professional, helpful, and really listened to what I wanted.”
Clear starting points
From First Call to Full Capability in 4 Steps
We move through each phase with intention. You'll see progress at every step, not just at the end.
Discovery Call
Free 15-minute call: tell us what is slowing the business down.
Workflow mapping & design
Map and scope: we agree the workflow, controls and a written scope with the price.
Build & deploy
Build and test: we configure the tools and test them with your team.
Train & hand over
Train and hand over: documentation, training and clear ownership, or managed support if you prefer.
Delivery
AI agents and workflows, built for your business
Choose the capability you need. We can design, deploy and hand over one workflow or support a wider rollout.
AI consultancy for Northern Ireland, run from Derry
We work remotely with businesses across Northern Ireland. If a workshop or workflow walk-through will go better in person, we agree it in the scope and quote before work starts.
Derry and the North West
This is home. Our work here includes James Gorman Property in Derry and Platform Pilates in Ebrington and Coleraine. Across the border, we built White Oaks Connect for White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre in Muff, County Donegal.
Looking for an AI consultant in Belfast?
We serve Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland from our Derry base. Mapping a workflow, setting up Microsoft 365 Copilot or Power Automate and testing it with your team can happen remotely, in the tools you already use.
Across Northern Ireland and Ireland
Whether you are in Newry or Enniskillen, the approach is the same: remote by default, with any in-person work agreed in the scope. Our prices are in sterling; your written quote confirms the currency, VAT and payment details.
Our work in the North West
Each case study identifies the type of project, so a website result is not presented as an AI automation result.
- James Gorman Property, Derry: website search and content work.
- Platform Pilates, Ebrington and Coleraine: a studio website built around its existing LegitFit booking journeys.
- White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre, County Donegal: the White Oaks Connect aftercare app.
- Farmvet Systems / VetIMPRESS: AI training across business functions.
Five practical starting points for a Northern Ireland business
These are illustrative uses to test, not claims about client results. Each starts with existing work and leaves important decisions with a person.
- Sort customer enquiries. Test suggested categories on approved old enquiries. A person checks urgency, price, complaints and who should respond.
- Check standard documents. Extract agreed fields from complete and incomplete examples, then check the source, version and missing information.
- Turn meetings into actions. Compare a draft action list with the chair’s notes. Check names, commitments, dates and permission to share.
- Search internal guidance. Ask real questions of a small approved document collection, checking source passages and access permissions.
- Draft recurring documents. Start with a template and approved material. Check facts, confidential details, tone and final approval.
Choose a frequent task with a clear owner and an output that is easy to check. Measure the current work before a pilot, including time spent correcting errors. The MATRIX report on AI and the Future of Work in Northern Ireland and the Department for the Economy’s AI Advisory Panel provide regional context, not forecasts of results for your company.
Funding in Northern Ireland: what to check first
Invest NI Innovation Vouchers support work with public sector knowledge providers, such as universities and colleges. They do not fund work with a private provider such as Blue Canvas. For other support, check the official eligibility rules, activities and application dates before spending money or expecting reimbursement.
Start with Invest NI Innovation Vouchers, NI Business Info’s AI adoption support directory or our Northern Ireland funding guide.
Who you will work with
Phil Patterson founded Blue Canvas and is its director. He is based in Derry. Blue Canvas AI Ltd is registered in Northern Ireland, company number NI737502. Meet the team.
Questions about working with Blue Canvas
Practical answers on location, costs, funding and the first step.
Do you only work with businesses in Derry?
No. We are based in Derry and work with businesses across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Most of the work happens remotely. If an in-person session would help, we agree it before the work starts.
Can you work with businesses in Belfast?
Yes. We serve Northern Ireland from our Derry base. Remote work and any agreed in-person sessions are set out in the written scope before work starts.
How much does AI consultancy cost?
The first 15-minute call is free. Our AI audit is a fixed £750. Builds and training are quoted after we agree a written scope. Managed AI starts at £250 a month, plus a one-off setup fee from £1,750. Software and licence costs are separate, and our prices are in pounds sterling. Full detail is on our prices page.
Can an Invest NI grant pay for your work?
Not an Innovation Voucher. Those pay for work with a public sector knowledge provider, such as a university or college, and Invest NI lists working with a private sector provider as not eligible. Other programmes have their own rules, so check the official page first. We will not tell you a grant is available unless the programme says so.
What if AI is not the right answer for us?
We will tell you. Sometimes a simpler automation or a clearer process is the better fix, and the first call is there to find that out before anyone spends money.
Do you work in Donegal and the rest of Ireland?
Yes, mostly remotely. We built the White Oaks Connect app for White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre in Muff, County Donegal. Our published prices are in sterling, and your written quote confirms the currency, VAT and payment details. See how we work with businesses across Ireland.
“Been working with Phil & the team for a few months and have found the service professional and supportive.”
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