Open & upcoming calls

Information on this Defence and Security Accelerator competition for which at least £1 million of funding is available. This competition was briefed at an Innovation network event in Bristol on 1 February 2018. View the event information pack for further details. This themed competition seeks to make a real difference in saving lives and reducing disabilities following serious injury. We’re looking for proposals that harness developments in regenerative medicine to offer practical approaches suitable for use, early after injury. This competition is open. Proposals for this competition must be submitted to the submission service by Wednesday 11 April 2018 at midday. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

Information on this Defence and Security Accelerator competition with £3 million of funding available. This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks to introduce innovative solutions to how we manage our people, both military and civilian. Read the competition document for more information. This competition will open on Tuesday 27 March 2018 and close on Wednesday 16 May 2018 at midday. Proposals must be submitted to the Defence and Security Accelerator online. Technical queries should be sent to dasa-defencepeople@dstl.gov.uk General queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

Digital and technology companies are invited to pitch innovative solutions to the challenge of identifying online still image propaganda created by Daesh. Daesh poses a threat to UK national security as it seeks to expand its terror network, using propaganda to radicalise and recruit citizens from the UK and across the world. The Home Office already has the technology to determine 94% of Daesh videos with 99.995% accuracy. However, 80% of Daesh media is still imagery. These images, tailored for local markets, rarely contain consistent features meaning innovation is needed to have the same success as for video. We are looking for concepts that can be developed into workable solutions. Winning companies will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their ideas. A further £500,000 may be available to continue development and test the successful solutions in the public sector. There are 5 different challenge competitions in the first GovTech Catalyst round. This challenge competition closes on 27 June 2018. Registration for this competition closes on 20 June 2018. No late applications can be accepted. Why pitch a solution to a GovTech challenge competition The GovTech challenge is your opportunity to help improve vital public services while growing your business. We’re looking for firms to come up with smart solutions to fix public-sector problems. You’ll get the opportunity to work with high-profile public-sector partners and to raise your profile both nationally and internationally. How to pitch a solution Companies can pitch a solution to an open challenge competition on the Innovation Funding Service website . Each challenge competition page includes information on how to apply, the dates, funding available, project scope and challenge context. There will also be launch events for each challenge competition where interested companies can meet people from the public sector body responsible for the challenge (the challenge owner). Sign up to the GovTech community mailing list for dates and more information. You can also join the GovTech Catalyst team at monthly meetups to connect the GovTech sector to the public sector. Round 1 competition schedule Identifying Daesh still imagery (open 14 May to 27 June 2018) Tracking waste through the waste chain (open 11 June to 18 July 2018) Tackling loneliness and rural isolation (opening July 2018) Cutting traffic congestion (opening August 2018) Deploying smart sensors on council vehicles to improve services (opening September 2018) You can see an updated timeline of GovTech Catalyst competitions and challenges . About the GovTech Catalyst GovTech aims to encourage small, emerging technology businesses to create and develop innovative solutions to public services, that once proven can move to scale both to the advantage of markets and society. Read more about the GovTech Catalyst programme aims . GovTech Catalyst competitions help the public sector identify and work with cutting edge technology firms. They use the SBRI process , supported by Innovate UK . Read how public sector bodies submit challenges .

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) will be running a dial-in event to discuss the Invisible Battlespace competition DASA will be hosting a dial-in event on 11 September 2018, 10am to midday to provide a short briefing on the Invisible Battlespace competition followed by an open forum Q&A session. Also available will be the opportunity to book a one to one telecon meeting with the competition team to discuss questions specific to your proposal. Additional slots are also available on 12 September 2018. Further information about the competition can be found in the Invisible Battlespace competition document , where you will find links to register for the dial-in and one to one meetings.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is launching a new Behavioural Analytics competition scoping workshop on 13 September 2018 This DASA competition seeks innovative solutions to how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and partners across Defence and Security can unlock the potential to understand human behaviour from the estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes a day of user uploaded data using ‘behavioural analytics’. DASA will be holding a workshop on 13 September 2018 where stakeholders can help shape the scope of the new Behavioural Analytics competition. If you would like the opportunity to participate, please register your interest . Further details are included in the workshop document found here. The competition will see over £5 million of funding committed to innovation in this space, over a 26 month period, in a number of phases. We are interested in a range of multi and interdisciplinary approaches (such as social, computer, neuro and info sciences) and would welcome interest from any organisation including academia, SMEs, and primes. Places for the event are limited and so please register as early as possible to secure a place. If the event is oversubscribed, we may place a limitation on the number of attendees from a single organisation. The full competition document launch will be held in October 2018 and further details will be available on the DASA website in due course.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is launching a new competition scoping workshop to unlock the potential to understand human behaviour This DASA competition seeks innovative solutions to how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and partners across Defence and Security can unlock the potential to understand human behaviour from the estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes a day of user uploaded data using ‘behavioural analytics’. To aid in competition development, DASA is holding a workshop on 13 September 2018 where stakeholders can help shape the scope of the competition. If you would like the opportunity to participate, please register your interest here . More detail on our current thinking for the competition and the aims of the workshop are included in the workshop document. Places for the event are limited and so please register as early as possible to secure a place. If the event is oversubscribed, we may place a limitation on the number of attendees from a single organisation. The full competition will be launched in October 2018 and further details will be available on the DASA website in due course. You can sign up for alerts on our news pages to keep up to date. Once the full call is launched to apply, you will need to register for the new DASA Submission Service .

Further information on this £1 million phase 1 Defence and Security Accelerator competition This Defence and Security Accelerator ( DASA ) themed competition seeks to make a step change in aviation security through the development of innovative science and technology. The competition is focused on new solutions to the challenge of vehicle checkpoint ( VCP ) screening at airports, in order to prevent explosives, weapons and other threats from accessing the secure airside area. The competition has an initial budget of £1 million to fund a mixture of low and mid-level TRL proposals. The closing date for proposals for this competition is 20 September 2018 at 1 pm Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new competition on metasurfaces for defence and security. This themed competition is seeking proposals for innovative solutions that will pull ideas from recent breakthroughs in metasurface science into products. The competition is aimed at the private sector and academia who can harness electromagnetic hardware. DASA are particularly interested in novel metasurfaces and manufacturing technologies to integrate them in to platforms. Up to £500,000 is available for phase 1 of this competition. Additional funding of up to £500,000 may be available for phase 2. DASA will be encouraging collaboration between academia and industry. The competition is now open. Full details are available in the competition document . The competition will close at midday on 28 September 2018. For any queries, please do not hesitate email us at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is launching a new competition to find novel approaches to stopping or impeding tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles. This new Defence and Security Accelerator ( DASA ) competition is seeking novel approaches to stopping or impeding tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles on the battlefield while minimising collateral damage. DASA welcomes proposals relating to physical barriers or effects (such as traps and rapid ways to build them) as well as invisible barriers or effects (including electromagnetic and other non-explosive technologies). Systems for defence utility and with potential security applications, including those for urban deployment, are also welcome. Up to £1 million of funding is available in Phase 1 of this competition to fund proof-of-concept solutions. Additional funding is anticipated to be available for future phases to move towards a deployable solution. Full details are available in the competition document . The competition will close at midday on 8 November 2018. If you have any queries on this competition, please do contact us at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is intending to run a competition on Data Integration in the Defence Logistics environment. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is interested in finding innovative solutions to how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) accesses, integrates, exploits and utilises its data in an easier, more cost effective and flexible way. To aid competition development, DASA is holding a workshop on 28 November 2018 where stakeholders/suppliers can learn more about the problem space and help shape the scope of the competition. More details on the aims of the workshop are included in the Data Integration workshop document . If you would like the opportunity to participate, please register your interest here . We welcome interest from any organisation including academia and industry. Places for the event are limited and so please register early to secure a place. If the event is oversubscribed, we may limit the number of attendees from a single organisation. A full competition may be launched in the future through the DASA website . You can sign up for alerts on our news pages to keep up to date. DASA is also running a related Defence Logistics hackathon from 29 to 30 November 2018 at the same venue. Further information can be found on the Defence Logistics Hackathon page . We have deliberately aligned these events to allow people to attend both, though it is not compulsory.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals that can help UK Defence and Security to develop capability in ‘Behavioural Analytics’. DASA are looking for scientific and technological solutions that can provide context-specific insights into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of individual, group and population behaviour, enabling predictions about how they are likely to act in the future. At this stage of the competition we are limiting the scope to theoretical development, methodological advancement and proof of concept research. Phase 1 of this competition has £1.6 million available to fund multiple proposals. Additional funding is anticipated to be available for future phases of this competition. This competition closes on Wednesday 5 December 2018 at midday. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

Phase 2 of this competition is seeking novel approaches to stopping or impeding tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles on the battlefield This Defence and Security Accelerator ( DASA ) competition seeks proposals for novel approaches to stopping or impeding tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles while preventing or minimising collateral damage. We hope to achieve this through harnessing advances in engineering, design, materials science, computing and non-kinetic weapons. We welcome proposals relating to physical barriers / effects (such as traps and rapid ways to build them, or interference with wheels and tracks). We are also interested in invisible barriers / effects such as non-kinetic (non-explosive) weapons which could slow or disable vehicles (such as those employing electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or sonic based methods). Approaches that disable the target’s ability to fight are also acceptable. We are not interested in any explosive-based solutions such as anti-tank mines or solutions involving direct or indirect fire weapons. The primary focus of this competition is defence, but we are also interested in technologies that have wider security applications. Technologies that address a similar capability requirement within the civil sector, such as preventing vehicle-related terrorist attacks, will be considered if they are demonstrated to be effective against military class vehicles and capable of being deployed in a wide range of operational environments related to defence. This is the second phase addressing this theme. Both phase 1 existing suppliers and new suppliers are welcome to apply. We are anticipating at least £2 million will be available for this competition from which we predict funding multiple projects. This competition closes on 16 August 2019 at midday. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

Wide range of innovative business project funding opportunities from different UK government departments Businesses can apply for development contracts in a range of sectors, to help public sector organisations and government departments use innovation to solve their problems. Find out more about the SBRI scheme Wave Energy Scotland - feasibility studies Wave Energy Scotland is aiming to reduce the duration, cost and risk of offshore operations for early stage wave energy converters. This competition focusses on the technology and operations used to make the connection between a wave energy device and its moorings and/or electrical system. The competition is open for applications and closes at midday on 16 September 2019. Find out more and apply CivTech 4.0 challenges CivTech, part of the Scottish Government’s digital directorate, has launched a number of challenges offering SBRI funding. There are 11 challenges all running on separate deadlines. Find out more details and how to apply UK Seafood Innovation Fund The Seafood Innovation Fund is a 3-year, £10 million research and development (R&D) fund focusing on: delivering longer term, cutting-edge innovation across the seafood sector helping to take innovative ideas from early stage research to commercial viability This competition aims to support the development and testing of innovative technologies across a range of sector areas including: primary producers onshore supply chains marine and diadromous fisheries marine and land-based aquaculture There are 2 options for applicants: smaller feasibility studies designed to test new ideas (proof of concept) and can be up to a maximum £50,000 value and 3 months’ duration larger full R&D projects for more developed ideas, up to a maximum value of £250,000 and 18 months’ duration The competition is open and the closing date is midday on 12 September. Find out more and apply 2019 CRACK IT challenges NC3Rs has announced 3 new challenges for 2019: Sharp and to the point – developing needles for high throughput and critical compound administration in mice CleanCut – animal free tumourigenicity assessment of genome edited human haematopoietic stem cells Transgene Track – development of a sensitive absolute quantification method for tracking AAV gene therapies and CAR-T cells in vivo Register for the 11 September launch event by 4 September Find out more about the CRACK IT challenges Point-of-care diagnostics at the frontline The Defence and Security Accelerator is seeking proposals for innovative ‘point of care’ diagnostics technologies that provide earlier diagnosis, improved treatment and long-term health outcomes for individuals exposed to chemical and biological hazards. The competition is open and closes on 26 September 2019 at midday. Read the competition news story Read the detailed competition notice and apply for funding

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative approaches to develop a Bioprocessing Prototype System to recycle military waste, oils, fuel and other liquid waste, into reusable products. Following a successful Industry Day at Brize Norton on 1 October, it was evident from feedback received that further information contained in safety data sheets would assist in the completion of bids. Therefore these have been made available as an additional appendix under ‘documents’. We are looking to develop a system that can aid the recycling of waste fuel, oils, lubricants and other liquid chemicals to enable the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to manage its own waste on-site and produce reusable by-products to the benefit of the environment. This competition seeks to develop a prototype bioprocessing solution. The innovation should include the development of an energy powered bioprocessing system, the appropriate microbe mixes to break the waste down and the ability to capture the by-products for reuse. Bidders can address all three aspects or individual aspects, provided they can show a joined up capability with the other areas. Phase 1 of this competition has approx. £1 million available to fund 3-5 proposals. Additional funding is anticipated to be available for future phases of this competition. To help understand the problem space and to facilitate opportunities for collaboration, an event will be held at RAF Brize Norton on 1 October 2019. To sign up to this event please register on Eventbrite . This competition will close on 30 October 2019. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals in the area of Electro-Optics and Infrared, with an expected £2.5m of funding available over 2 phases. Further 1-to-1 teleconference sessions are now available. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the competition to the technical team and DASA. These will be held on 17 October 2019 and can be booked through Eventbrite . This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals to develop and demonstrate a number of novel technologies or applications in the area of Electro-Optics and Infrared (EOIR) to address the future need for highly capable and affordable sensors. EOIR sensors are a key military capability used for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, threat warning, target detection and more. The ever evolving nature of military operations means that we wish to invest in novel and resilient technologies that can function in contested/congested environments, that will extend the range, lower the cost and size, and expand the range of targets that can be addressed by EOIR sensors. Total funding of £2.5m is expected to be available over 2 phases to fund multiple projects in each phase. This competition is expected to open in August 2019. In parallel to this competition, the Autonomy in Challenging Environments competition is seeking novel and innovative technologies to improve the capability of autonomous military systems in challenging environments for which sensor technology may be applicable. If a proposal is submitted to both competitions, it should clearly outline any duplication of costs and works. This competition will be holding a dial in event, further information can be found on Eventbrite . Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

UK organisations can express an interest in seeking funding to develop receivers for a future UK global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The UK Space Agency is to invest in research and development that explores challenges and ideas around receivers for a future UK global navigation satellite system. Global navigation satellite systems are being used more and more to support basic functions in fields such as transport, agriculture and science. They are also an important element in national security. The UK Space Agency is seeking organisations interested in investigating and developing concepts for satellite system receivers. The best ideas could be awarded contracts in a later stage of the competition under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). Find out more about SBRI. Organisations can develop original ideas Projects could develop original ideas or adapt successful technologies from other cutting-edge science and technology fields. The competition aims to look at the feasibility of the ideas, and projects could look at them from several perspectives including: identifying and understanding the impact and potential of state-of-the-art technologies and capabilities technical readiness and scope for innovation improved security features, including innovations in authentication and trust ability for the receivers to be used by a wide range of sectors innovative concepts of implementation and operation Competition information the competition opens on 21 October 2019, and the deadline is at midday on 13 November 2019 organisations of any size may express an interest contract sizes and duration will be briefed at an industry day on 28 November Find out more about this competition and apply.

Businesses can express an interest in a share of £30 million to tackle barriers to new products and services that exploit latest quantum technologies. New products and services based on the latest quantum technologies could transform the automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence sectors. Quantum physics underpins the electronics, media, computing and infrastructure systems we use in our daily life. A second generation of quantum technologies based on new quantum effects potentially offers more secure digital communication, improved construction and radical increases in computing power. Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £30 million to invest in projects that remove technological barriers to speeding up commercialisation of these quantum technologies. The funding is from the UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Commercialising Quantum Technologies Challenge. Projects must use latest quantum technology Projects should involve at least 2 partners and must look at removing a technological barrier to speeding up commercialisation of second-generation quantum technologies. They must address at least one of the following areas: connectivity: techniques for securing data in storage and in flight situational awareness including autonomous systems, sensors and detectors for the built environment, transport and infrastructure, imaging and sensing of things currently invisible transformational computing to solve intractable problems 2-phase competition Potential projects express an interest in the first phase. If they are successful, they will be invited to apply for funding in the second phase. Find out more about applying for Innovate UK funding. Competition information the competition opens on 28 October 2019, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at midday on 27 November 2019 businesses of any size may apply we expect total costs of projects to range in size between £4 million and £20 million a briefing event takes place on 30 October 2019 Find out more about this competition and express an interest.

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £30 million to develop ways to support safe operations of novel modes of air transportation – minimising the environmental footprint and improving connectivity. Flying taxis, drones delivering medical supplies, small electric aircraft, vertical take-off and landing vehicles and autonomous aircraft are some of the innovations that could transform aviation and broader transportation in the future. New systems and technologies must be developed to allow them to use existing airports and airspace to fly in and around rural and urban environments. New business models must be created, and the public must have confidence in new services. The government has set aside £125 million as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Future Flight Challenge to make the UK a world leader in aviation systems, products and markets. The funding supports development of capabilities to enable safe operations of these new modes of air transportation. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £30 million from the fund to support projects that develop and demonstrate integrated aviation systems for new electric and autonomous aircraft. Find out more about the Future Flight Challenge. Projects should help new aircraft to fly in and out Projects should aim to develop and demonstrate integrated aviation systems that allow drones, urban aircraft or electric regional aircraft to fly in and out of airports, airspace, and rural and urban environments. They should take a ‘system of systems’ approach and could focus on several areas including: air traffic management and unmanned traffic management systems physical and digital infrastructure to support future flight autonomy digital and communications systems new business models public acceptance transport integration vehicle technologies enabling integration to new aviation systems simulation non-aerospace regulation viable, challenging, use cases total security systems There are two strands to the competition, one for smaller fast-track projects and the second for larger consortia undertaking more ambitious projects. Applications are sought from businesses that work in the aviation sector and from businesses outside the sector that can bring in new technologies. Find out more about how to apply for Innovate UK funding. Strand 1 the competition is open, and the closing date is at midday on 1 July 2020 projects must be led by an SME working with at least one other business, research organisation, public sector organisation or charity we expect projects to range in size between £150,000 and £500,000 and to last between 6 and 18 months a briefing event will be held on 19 May 2020 Find out more about strand 1 of this competition and how to apply. Strand 2 the competition is open, and the closing date is at midday on 1 July 2020 projects can be led by businesses of any size but must include at least 1 SME as a project partner we expect projects to range in size between £500,000 and £10 million and to last between 6 and 18 months a briefing event will be held on 19 May 2020 Find out more about strand 2 of this competition and how to apply.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals that can help UK Defence and Security to develop capability in ‘Behavioural Analytics’. DASA is looking for scientific and technological solutions that can provide context-specific insights into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of individual, group and population behaviour, enabling predictions about how they are likely to act in the future. At this stage we are looking for theoretical and technological developments, beyond proof of concept, to result in working models, tools and techniques. This is the second phase of funding for this competition. Phase 1 launched in October 2018 and funded 29 projects. It is not compulsory to have been involved in Phase 1 to apply. £2M is available to fund multiple projects in Phase 2, which closes for submission at midday (BST) on Thursday 13 August 2020.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative solutions for the detection of explosives and weapons. This DASA competition on behalf of the Innovative Research Call (IRC) 2020 for Explosives and Weapons Detection seeks innovative scientific and technical solutions for improved detection of explosives and weapons. The IRC competition is run on behalf of several government departments and law enforcement agencies, including: Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) Department for Transport (DfT) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Home Office, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) Metropolitan Police Service U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate UK Border Force The competition seeks proposals for the screening of: buildings and areas goods people and / or their possessions vehicles This competition closes on Monday 28 September 2020 at midday (BST). Timeline for competition and deadlines Competition opens 05 August 2020 Clarification questions submitted by 31 August 2020 Clarification question response document available 04 September 2020 Competition closes 28 September 2020 Feedback release December 2020 Phase 1 contracts start December 2020 Phase 1 contracts end May 2021 Phase 2 contracts start August/September 2021 Phase 2 contracts end August/September 2023 Please note that a strict deadline will be enforced for applications and those submitting late will not be considered. Bidders are therefore encouraged to sign up to the submission system and submit their proposals early. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .