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This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals for innovative technologies that allow law enforcement officers to safely prevent the escalation of conflict in serious or violent circumstances from a distance. This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals for innovative technologies that allow law enforcement officers to safely prevent the escalation of conflict in serious or violent circumstances from a distance. The primary focus will be on solutions for distances between 5m and 50m (but solutions for distances between 0m and 70m will be considered). At the end of the Phase 1 competition, we expect the innovation to be sufficiently developed to achieve either proof of concept or prototype demonstration. The total funding available in this Phase 1 competition is £500k (excluding VAT) to fund up to 9 proposals. This competition closes for submissions at midday BST on Thursday 15 October 2020.

Businesses can apply for a share of up to £10 million to support development of innovative battery technologies for electric vehicles. There is a growing global demand for new and more efficient batteries to support the switch to electric transport. This demand is driven by plans by the UK and other governments to ban the sale of conventional petrol and diesel vehicles within the next two decades. The battery supply chain could be worth £12 billion to the UK economy by 2025 if the country can establish itself as a global leader in battery technology. The UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Faraday Battery Challenge has up to £317 million to help businesses and researchers to develop market-leading battery technologies. Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £10 million from the fund to invest in feasibility studies and in research and development into promising and innovative battery technologies. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Faraday Battery Challenge Work could include battery cost, efficiency, and recycling Projects can focus on a variety of improvements to battery technologies for the propulsion of electric vehicles. They could look at automotive applications or other sectors such as rail, marine, aerospace, defence, or off-highway vehicles where innovation could meet challenging performance requirements or enable electrification. Areas of work could include: cost reduction at the cell and pack level and in manufacturing increasing energy density of battery cells increasing the power density of battery packs eliminating thermal runaway risks lengthening cell and pack life broadening the temperature ranges for efficient operation of a pack new models to better predict range and battery health recyclability, including second life, design for end of life, reuse, or recycling technologies enabling the efficient design, development, or manufacture of batteries next-generation battery technologies Find out more about applying for Innovate UK funding. Competition information for feasibility studies the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 9 December 2020 projects can be led by a business of any size working with other businesses or researchers projects could range in size between £100,000 and £1 million and last between 3 and 12 months Find out more about this competition and apply. Competition information for research and development the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 9 December 2020 projects can be led by a business of any size working with other businesses or researchers projects could range in size between £300,000 and £1.5 million and last between 3 and 12 months Find out more about this competition and apply.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative solutions for screening and detection to protect the UK aviation system and wider borders. This DASA competition, for the Future Aviation Security Solutions (FASS) Programme, is seeking innovation which can provide step changes to the current capabilities of screening and detection of dangerous, illicit and/or contraband items. As the aviation sector continues to expand, the range of threats to aviation also continues to evolve. This competition seeks to help the UK government, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and aviation industry to continue improving aviation security processes by staying ahead of evolving threats and maintaining a high level of confidence in threat detection while minimising the burden on passengers and aviation staff. The competition comprises multiple challenges, addressing different aspects of aviation security and beyond, to explore technologies which can also be used to detect threats at non-aviation related borders. Total funding of £4.5million is expected to be available to fund a wide range of multiple projects, which are anticipated to run up until 28 February 2021. This competition closes at 1 July 2019 at midday (BST). Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk .

This competition seeks to experiment the effects of the CHERI based architecture extensions within Arm’s Morello prototype System on Chip (SoC). CHERI within Defence and Security Image of ARM Morello SoC + 3 images of military personnel looking at computer devices. Introduction This Defence and Security Accelerator ( DASA ) competition seeks proposals to experiment and trial the effects of the CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions) based architecture extensions within Arm’s Morello prototype System on Chip ( SoC ). This competition is funded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory ( Dstl ) Cyber Programme, which hopes to assess a wide selection of software applications and platforms. The aim is to grow our understanding of the potential benefits or challenges of deploying such processor technologies within Defence and Security systems. We also seek to increase the base of potential defence suppliers with experience of Morello, to provide a pool of future innovation the UK can draw on. Competition key information Submission deadline Midday on Monday 14 November 2022 Collaboration Survey now closed. Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. Total funding available The total possible funding available for this competition is £1.5M (ex VAT), and we expect to fund a number of proposals of up to £100k (Exc. VAT) each in value. However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £1.5M (Exc. VAT) that demonstrates value for money, provides high quality supporting evidence of platform performance to date as well as a detailed project plan to deliver on the competition challenges. Contracts will be awarded for a duration of up to 10 months and must complete by January 2024 (although proposals of shorter duration will also be accepted). Eligibility The CHERI within Defence and Security themed competition is a UK initiative and is only open to submitters based within the UK. We welcome proposals from across the full range of UK based suppliers including academia, individuals (i.e. sole traders), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies. If you are an international company, to be eligible to apply, you will need to have a registered UK office at Company House. This is to enable submitters to fully participate and receive the Morello boards due to existing terms.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative ‘Point of Care’ (PoC) diagnostic technologies. This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative ‘Point of Care’ (PoC) diagnostic technologies that provide information to enable clinicians to diagnose and treat individuals earlier and more effectively following exposure to biological or chemical agents. Following the successful completion of ‘Point of Care Diagnostics at the Front Line’ Phase 1 competition , Phase 2 will be looking for proposals to develop technology to Technology Readiness Level TRL 5. What innovations are we looking for? Disease caused by exposure to biological or chemical agents, represents a key issue for deployed personnel. Throughout the history of armed conflict, disease (regardless of source) has been a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among British forces that has led to reductions in the operational effectiveness of fighting elements. This issue remains current. The effective management and treatment of affected personnel remains a key challenge for the future where personnel may be deployed to parts of the world where endemic and emerging disease may be prevalent or subjected to the deliberate release of biological warfare (BW) or chemical warfare (CW) agents. Technologies that enable a rapid diagnosis of individuals exposed to biological or chemical agents are currently limited. They are also time-consuming, resource intensive, provide a limited identification capability and frequently rely on reaching back to laboratory facilities to achieve a higher confidence output. This challenge seeks to address this issue through the development of novel, enhanced PoC diagnostic devices which provide a result in a short time (c. 1 hour) and that can be used as close to the patient as possible (including in austere locations). Such devices will support clinicians to make informed, high confidence, diagnoses that optimise the management of affected individuals. Total funding available £1M (Exc. VAT) funding is available and we expect to fund two proposals of up to £500k (Exc. VAT) each in value. However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £1M (Exc. VAT) that demonstrates value for money, provides high quality supporting evidence of platform performance to date as well as a detailed project plan to deliver on the competition challenges. Contracts will be awarded for a duration of up to 14 months from 03 January 2023 and must complete by 28 February 2024 (although proposals of shorter duration will also be accepted). Submission deadline The competition closes at midday (BST) on 22nd September 2022. Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. You must not submit any information classified above Official. If you wish to add supporting information which might be Official-Sensitive or Secret you should contact DASA in advance and we will discuss solutions with you.

This competition is looking for Human Augmentation technologies that mitigate human performance as the limiting factor in a UK Defence environment As the battlefield becomes more complex and the demands on our personnel increase, in order to win tactical advantage Armed Forces personnel will have to out-think and out-pace their adversaries. If Human Augmentation (HA) technologies can be harnessed safely and ethically to develop enhanced levels of performance beyond that which can be achieved by innate talent, aptitude and learning, it is possible they could afford improvements in capability across the whole force. This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition aims to develop safe and ethical, Generation-After-Next (GAN) prototype HA technologies that mitigate human performance as the limiting factor in a UK Defence environment. Suppliers will be invited to submit proposals to develop HA technologies to reduce human performance as the limiting factor in Defence scenarios. Suppliers should focus on technologies that influence the following human capabilities and aptitudes, including but not limiting to: sensory enhancement to support mission outcomes collaborative working (including human-human and human-machine) attention during tasks with a cognitive element enhanced decision making (reduced time and improved outcomes) physical endurance strength overcoming limitations to physical and cognitive fatigue Total funding available The total funding available for this competition is up to £2 million (Exc. VAT). DASA expects to fund 5-10 proposals. However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £2 million (Exc. VAT) that demonstrates value for money, provides high quality supporting evidence to deliver on the competition focus. Contracts will be awarded and must complete by end of March 2025 and a maximum of 18 months in duration (although proposals of shorter duration will also be accepted). Submission deadline 13 June 2023 at 12 midday (BST). Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. You must not submit any information classified above OFFICIAL .

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals for novel and innovative future space science and technologies. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Space Systems Programme is seeking proposals that can aid UK Defence and Security to develop future space science and technologies. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Space to Innovate Campaign was established in 2019 as an overarching space themed DASA competition. Progressing from the prior Space to Innovate Phase 1 and International Space Pitch Day competitions, the Space to Innovate Campaign’s two previous challenge drops, Alpha Drop and Bravo Drop, have furthered DASA’s space focus. Charlie drop follows on from this and offers a range of broader challenges to explore a greater range of novel science and technologies. What innovations are we looking for? Novel ways to achieve fine resolution collection for intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) Technologies and techniques to alert, protect and defend satellites Satellite and ground segment technologies for future Defence and Security operations Total funding available The total funding available for Charlie Drop is £1.5 million (excl VAT). We expect to fund between 3 and 12 proposals over a 24 month period. The initial £1.5 million for the Charlie Drop competition is funded by MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). Funding from other MOD or wider government stakeholders may become available over the duration of the competition; if so, this will be reflected in a revised version of the competition document. Proposals from Charlie Drop that are deemed to be ‘fundable not funded’ will be available for funding by any UK government stakeholder up to one year after the outcome decision is released to bidders. For the purpose of this competition your bid may be shared with experts in other government departments. Follow-on work Once the initial contract is completed there will be a decision point where the Authority will decide whether it wishes to progress this work further. Follow-on work will be considered on its own individual merits and is not subject to further DASA competition processes. Any follow-on work will be contracted via costed options for one or more discrete, clearly bounded optional work packages up to a total of £4 million (excl VAT), built into the original DASA contract. As part of the proposal for the initial agreement, the supplier should include a deliverable for unspecified costed options that will not exceed a total of £4 million (excl VAT). This work, if funded, would be in addition to the funding required to deliver the initial work. The total value of the contract would thus be up to £4 million plus the value of the initial work, assuming all follow-on work was funded. Please note that suppliers should not include the costs of follow-on work in the finance table, but should only request costs that are for the initial project. All costed proposals for follow-on work should be valid for one year from their submission. The scope of work for any costed options must be within the technical scope of the original proposal. For the purposes of this competition no follow-on work should exceed Technical Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6). There is currently no funding allocated for follow-on work. The Authority will consider an allocation for additional options on completion of the initial contract. The Authority is under no obligation to undertake any of the costed options submitted for consideration as a contract deliverable, and reserves the right to end proceedings after the initial contract is complete. The supplier is under no obligation to undertake any of the proposed follow-on work and is entitled to end proceedings after the initial contract is complete. Submission deadline 12.00 BST Midday on Wednesday 12 July 2023. Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. You must not submit any information classified above Official. If you wish to add supporting information which might be Official-Sensitive or Secret you should contact DASA in advance and we will discuss solutions with you.

This competition seeks novel innovations to help give the UK an advantage through affordable and adaptable, autonomous air systems (UAS) This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks proposals to boost the British Army’s domination of the ‘near surface’ (0-10,000ft above ground level). The goal of this initiative is to exploit emerging technologies to find affordable ways to deliver mass autonomous capabilities. The Army is working on prototype autonomous capabilities that could increase the reach and impact of its units. However, these systems are often complex and expensive. Army Innovation is therefore searching for technologies that maintain capability and increase affordability. Competition key information Submission deadline: Midday on 27 July 2023 (BST) Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. Total funding available The total possible funding available for this DASA competition is £0.8M (excluding VAT).

New DASA competition seeks novel and innovative proposals to develop and improve explosives and weapons detection capability. DASA has launched a new Themed Competition: The Innovative Research Call (IRC) 2023 for Explosives and Weapons Detection The IRC competition is a collaborative action of several government departments and law enforcement agencies The total funding available is £3.1 million, this will be split into two competition phases Deadline for submissions is 30 August 2023 at 12 midday (BST) The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new competition on behalf of The Innovative Research Call (IRC). This £3.1 million competition seeks state of the art and technological solutions for the improved detection of explosives and weapons. The Innovative Research Call (IRC) 2023 for Explosives and Weapons Detection is a cross-government programme that seeks proposals from industry and academia for the screening of people and/or their possessions, goods, vehicles, and buildings and areas. This collaboration is one of the links the UK has with the US through science and innovation. IRC is using DASA to access the market because of their wealth of experience. An IRC spokesperson said: “There are some very innovative people out there. We are looking to draw in some fresh concepts and approaches to be developed into technologies that help keep our borders and communities safe from threats. “ “We are always impressed with the ingenuity and ideas and are hoping that this will stimulate some remarkable techniques.” Key dates and funding Up to £3.1 million is available to fund multiple proposals The deadline to submit a proposal is 30 August 2023 at 12 midday (BST) Do you have an innovation? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal . What are the timelines for this competition? The competition will take place in two phases. Up to £1 million is available in Phase 1 with proposal bids in the region of £70,000 per proposal. Projects will run for six months to develop proof of concept. Proposals of a higher value will be considered if appropriately justified. Proposals of higher technical readiness that do not require Phase 1 funding will need to submit their proposals in Phase 1 in anticipation of Phase 2 funding. Around £2.1 million will be available for proposals in Phase 2. Projects will need to develop and complete their prototypes or demonstrators by the end of May 2026. The deadline for Phase 1 proposal submissions is midday 30 August 2023. Full technical requirements with examples of use cases and submission processes are available in the competition document . The IRC 2023 competition is a collaborative action of several government departments and law enforcement agencies, including: National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) Department for Transport (DfT) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Home Office, Homeland Security Group (HSG) Metropolitan Police Service U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate Home Office, Border Force (BF) Ministry of Justice (MoJ) This is the sixth run of IRC, with successful calls occurring in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2020. Submit a proposal Do you have an innovative idea for a scientific or technical solution for the improved detection of explosives and weapons? Submit your proposal to help build stronger capability and detection. Read the full competition document and submit a proposal .

New DASA competition seeks proposals for autonomous sensor management and sensor deception in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance scenarios DASA has launched a new Themed Competition: ‘Autonomous Sensor Management and Sensor Counter Deception’ Funded by the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) The total funding available is £800,000 (ex VAT) for Phase 1. Additional funding for further phases to increase TRL may be available Deadline for submissions is 13 September 2023 at 12 midday (BST) The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new Themed Competition called, Autonomous sensor management and sensor counter deception , run on behalf of the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl). This £800,000 competition seeks innovative proposals that can develop solutions for autonomous sensor management and sensor deception in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) scenarios. This competition has two challenge areas: Challenge 1: Sensor Management Sensor management capabilities which are compatible with the Stone Soup framework Demonstrations of autonomous sensor management by applying the algorithm(s) implemented in simulation Challenge 2: Sensor Counter Deception Demonstrate methods to counter sensor deception Develop techniques to enable an understanding of the impact deceptive strategies have on a situation awareness picture Learn more about the challenge areas in the full Competition Document . Key dates and funding A total of £800,000 (ex VAT) is available for this competition, with the intention of funding multiple proposals. Phase 1 projects will aim to deliver Phase 1 outputs at TRL 3 . Additional funding for further phases to increase TRL may be available. The deadline to submit a proposal is midday 13 September 2023 (BST) A Q&A webinar to discuss competition requirements will take place on 20 July 2023 Do you have an innovation? Read the full Competition Document and submit a proposal. What is autonomous sensor management? Autonomous sensor management is the process of deciding and executing the actions that a group of sensors should take in a given scenario to complete a particular ISR task. In a world of increasing complexity in terms of sensor number and capability, there is a need for algorithms which will process information and disseminate instructions to address ISR queries at human or beyond human-tempo. Supporting events Webinar 20 July 2023 – A dial-in session providing further detail on the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page . One-to-one 27 July 2023 and 2 August 2023 – A series of 20 minute one-to-one teleconference sessions, giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions. If you would like to participate, please click on your preferred date to register on the Eventbrite page. Booking is on a first come first served basis. Submit a proposal Do you work with sensors and are able to develop solutions for autonomous sensor management and sensor deception? Read the full Competition Document to learn more and submit a proposal

Expected Impact: The outcome should contribute to: • the spin-in of civil European R&D into the defence sector; • enabling Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway) armed forces to meet EU Green Deal targets, and to be climate neutral by 2050, with only minimal loss of military and joint operational capabilities; • facilitating the introduction of new propulsion and energy integrated systems technologies by reducing their evaluation time and cost, thus providing a cutting-edge tactical advantage in operations, while contributing to energy transformation in Europe; • developing the autonomy of the industrial sector in the EU and enhance cross-border cooperation (from large industrial groups to SMEs) in a high-tech niche sector; • the EU technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy ahead of future non-associated third-country competitors; • enhancing complementarity and stimulate cross-fertilisation between civil and defence technologies and solutions in this area. Objective: General objective The EU has set the goal of becoming a climate-resilient society by 2050, fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. With this target, the EU tracks its progress on cutting emissions through regular monitoring and reporting, and sets targets to progressively reduce its greenhouse gas emissions targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These targets could affect also military platforms, which progressively must reduce their GHG (Green House Gases) emissions similarly as other economic sectors. In the field of mobility and transportation, the Green Deal objectives aim especially at boosting energy efficiency and ecodesign of products, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, promoting renewable and low-carbon gases and also supporting sustainable and sovereign key component development. Innovations on propulsion systems are of higher interest in the heart of the contribution of the defence sector to address the European “Fit for 55” target. It is also an opportunity for defence to foster sovereignty and strategic autonomy while enhancing defence core capabilities (range, autonomy, silent operation and watch, lower signature…). Developing innovative propulsion systems adapted for military operations without compromising current defence capabilities is challenging, and the specific military environment can limit the transfer of civil technologies regarding safety, maintenance, cost and supply issues. In this sense, one of the main issues that Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway) armed forces, especially in the land and naval domain, are facing is to meet EU Green Deal (EUGD) targets with the existing fleets. Long military platforms lifespan forces to analyse existing and emerging sustainable fuels regarding their projected availability and useability as sustainable fuel solutions for a transitional period without significantly modifying current platform’s configuration. Therefore, a first step on the green transitional pathway must be a focus on the land and naval domain, to offer solutions to their existing platforms, for example by analysing Sustainable Fuels (SF) keeping EUGD and suitable to be used in retrofitted conventional combustion engines or looking at adaptations of conventional propulsion systems to enhance efficiency. The use of SF must not change the vessel’s and vehicle’s current structure neither compromise their present operational range. Supporting the scale-up of innovative propulsion technologies for defence applications (marine, land) is essential to make military equipment more efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. This research topic may cover several areas such as low carbon advanced fuels, improved engine energy efficiency, hybridisation or alternative propulsion concepts. Future capability and operational challenges require to conduct research on the next generation of integrated architectures for military platforms, able to manage energy distribution for propulsion, in order to enhance their mobility, their survivability, their capability and their resilience to cope with multiple threats within a large range of missions, while reducing fossil energy, ensuring maintainability and support, and optimising life cycle costs. Technological challenge: The solutions must ensure high level of safety, low logistics footprint and life cycle cost reduction. The solutions must also take into account the possibility of retrofitting existing units at low cost. Based on civil industry research achievements and civil-driven innovations, no technology risk is expected regarding, for example, the adaptation of available bio-fuel and e-fuel to be used as a reference to develop a military standard for the use of SF. Market barriers: The solutions may derive from COTS components when possible in order to be affordable and to ensure maintainability and support in operations. Specific objective The specific objective of this topic is to spin-in results generated in other civil EU-funded research programmes to the defence sector. To do so, different types of innovative propulsion systems that are integrated into innovative energy architectures are to be identified and analysed. This spin-in of knowledge into the defence sector should aim to the highest possible reduction of greenhouse gases integrating new technologies. The solutions should consider alternative sources of sustainable fuels (pure biofuels, hydrogen, hydrogen-based fuels as ammonia, methanol, LOHC and e-fuels), used standalone or mixed with conventional fuels, and propulsion solutions. As a first step, the proposals must define the gradual adaptation for the land and naval domain. As the current platforms appear to be vulnerable to fossil energy supply, the operational benefit provided by the innovative propulsions and energy solutions (higher autonomy, efficiency, redundancy, new operating modes, as e.g. silent mode and extended silent watch, low thermal signature, maintaining access to emission control area) represents an opportunity to foster users’ capability needs. The development of joint European capabilities on core alternative propulsion and energy architectures must nevertheless address the ability to operate in specific military scenarios and ensure the highest level of safety, low logistics footprint and life cycle cost reduction. The proposals should analyse a range of solutions that can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases to meet the EUGD without compromising operational capabilities, including solutions suitable for retrofitting existing units/vessels but also solutions for future units/vessels. It is also of interest to provide an overview of innovative management of energy for propulsion systems in combination with all the aforementioned additional measures and assess which combination can reduce greenhouse gases most efficiently while maintaining at the same time the requirements requested. As main challenge, alternative propulsion and energy systems for military platforms will imply to study their integration into a wider scope, in order to maintain their combat effectiveness, thus covering energy supply in operations including powering infrastructure and logistical issues. The proposals should provide solutions to issues of safety and long-term storage concerns, which make them otherwise inapplicable for military uses. The solutions should be specifically adapted to platforms that operate in critical combat scenarios. Attention should be given to promote solutions for the next generation systems and for retrofitting the current military propulsion systems. Scope: The proposals must address solutions of innovative architectures based on efficient energy management and advanced propulsion technologies for application in defence. Solutions will be analysed/compared through presentation of KPIs or other parametric method. Relevant indexes valid for multiple domains will are preferable. The proposals must fo

This DASA competition seeks novel, lightweight bioassay systems with novel transduction platforms for the detection of trace explosives. The purpose of this competition is to develop innovative platforms for the trace detection of explosives using biological assays. The output will be a small, lightweight platform that can be used for the detection of trace explosives or as a confirmation assay that could be used with other trace explosives detection methods. The size, weight and power (SWaP) and logistic burden of the desired platform will be similar to that of a pocket-sized presumptive test kit. The platform must be capable of multiplex detection of at least three specified targets initially, although the platform should be expandable to detect a wider range of targets (ideally up to 10) in one test in the future. This competition is funded by UK MOD and US DOD This competition is jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the US Department of Defense (DOD), the relationship will operate under and be governed by an extant memorandum of understanding (MOU) between both nations. Both the MOD and DOD will have access to proposals submitted under this competition in order to jointly assess which proposals to fund. What innovations are we looking for? A small, lightweight, low SWaP trace detection platform, which together with the consumables and swab-based sample input, will form part of a system that is capable of multiplex detection of at least three explosives targets (TNT, RDX, PETN) from one sample, with the ability to expand the number of available targets (ideally up to 10) in the future. Total funding available The total possible funding available for this competition is £600,000 (exc. VAT) for project(s) of up to 12 months duration. We expect to fund two proposals of up to £300,000 (exc. VAT) each in value. However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £600,000 (exc. VAT) that exceeds the requirements of the competition. Proposals are invited for platforms that can be developed through one phase of funding. It is not anticipated that there will be a follow-on phase for this competition. Submission deadline 12:00 Midday on 9 April 2024 (BST) Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. You must not submit any information classified above Official. If you wish to add supporting information which might be Official-Sensitive or Secret you should contact DASA in advance and we will discuss solutions with you.

DASA has launched a new Themed Competition looking for innovations that can enhance the testing of drug drivers The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition called Mobile Evidential Drug Testing Instrument (MEDTI) Demonstrator . Run on behalf of the Department for Transport and with the support of the Home Office and Police, this competition is seeking proposals that enhance the testing of suspected ‘drug’ drivers. Currently, drivers suspected of being over the specified limit for specified drugs can be subject to a roadside screening test, which following a positive indication, requires the subject to be taken to a police station where an evidential blood sample can be taken. The sample is then sent to an approved laboratory for forensic analysis. It can take many months to generate a formal conclusion able to determine if a prosecution should be launched. Roads Minister, Guy Opperman said: Whilst the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, we are always striving to work with the sector to develop new technology to crack down on drug driving. Our £1million investment for this competition marks another important step in improving road safety and championing innovation, and I look forward to seeing the ideas. We are seeking proposals with the aspiration to create a roadside forensic test capable of being administered at the time the driver is stopped and then generating a robust indication that meets UK court standards in a swift but sure manner. Ideally, a result would be obtained at the roadside within 10 minutes. Key dates and funding The total possible funding available for Phase 1 of this themed competition is £1 million (ex-VAT) with a maximum limit of £350,000 (ex-VAT) per proposal The deadline to submit a proposal is midday (BST) on Tuesday 16 April 2024 A Q&A webinar to discuss the competition requirements will take place on Tuesday 5 March 2024 A series of 15 minute 1-2-1 webinar sessions will take place on Thursday 7 March 2024 providing the opportunity to ask specific questions to the competition team What are we looking for? The aspiration is to create a forensic test, meeting UK court standards, that is generated at the roadside at the time of a driver being stopped on suspicion of drug driving, or shortly afterwards in a police station based approach. The ultimate aim is the introduction of a test system to perform a drug test on a sample from a suspect with a hand-held, portable, rugged and simple to use device suitable for use by a police officer. The following examples give an indication of possible proposals: Smaller blood samples can be taken from subject using tools such as finger prick lancets which are used by diabetics to provide small blood samples (~1-10µl) to test their blood glucose. In addition to lancets to aid blood collection, new technologies are coming though that both pierce the skin and collect the blood. Such devices may very well lend themselves to the role of blood collection at the roadside and may be an option for some other than a forensic medical examiner taking the blood. The use of oral fluid taken at a roadside and then sent for fast time evidential testing may also offer a potential future development as part of this competition. Funded projects are expected to achieve at least Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, 6 or 7 by the end of the contract. Do you have an innovation that could radically enhance the testing of drug drivers? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal. Webinars and online events Launch Q&A Webinar: Tuesday 5 March This webinar will provide more information on the challenge areas and how to submit a proposal. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions in the Q&A. Register now on the Eventbrite Page 1-2-1 Sessions: Thursday 7 March A series of 15 minute one-to-one teleconference sessions, giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions. Register for a session now on the Eventbrite Page Submit a proposal Do you have an idea for a novel technology that could enhance the testing of drug drivers? We would love to hear from you! Read the full competition document to learn more and submit a proposal.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is run on behalf of the British Army. Project APATE - the Greek goddess or spirit of deceit, deception, guile, and fraud - seeks industry and academia to identify and develop new (novel) deception technologies that could be exploited by the British Army to gain operational advantage and to aid the survivability of deployed UK Land Forces. The aim of Project APATE is to identify and develop novel deception (defined as a Feint; Demonstration, Ruse or Display), technologies that could be exploited to ‘hide the real’ or ‘show the false’ on Land operations, including the near-surface (0-10,000ft) and command and logistic hubs. The development of a deception capability for military application will enhance Survivability in a number of potential applications: Novel decoys of personnel, military activities, in-service platforms, systems and hubs that can deceive non-communications sensors and adversarial radar, including battlefield radars, at various ranges; and/or Developing novel technologies, or exploiting existing technologies in new/novel ways, to enhance survivability by reducing the likelihood of being There, Detected, Acquired and Engaged, in support of the survivability onion concept. By the proposal of new concepts for implementing battlefield deception that are a blend of deception technologies but tactically exploited through new thinking and the potential update to the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) of employing deception. How can the Army use deception in novel ways, by challenging the unconventional? To deceive in plain sight, to exploit the unexpected and gain the tactical advantage, if only momentarily. We encourage proposals where the innovation output is no higher than, Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 5. Successful proposals will be expected to validate their deception technology in a relevant environment. This could include validation against a range of representative sensor technologies in a formal tactical trials environment. An appropriate level of evidence will be required for solutions expected to exit at TRL 3 or 4. Any correspondence directly relating to this competition between the innovator and the Army competition team should only be done through the DASA helpdesk email at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk , or your local Innovation Partner . Competition key information Submission deadline 12:00 midday on 09 July 2024 (BST). Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. Total funding available The total possible funding available for this DASA competition is £900,000 (excluding VAT). This is expected to fund between six and eight proposals over a maximum project duration of 5 months. Pending each proposal additional funding may be made available from Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (Dstl). There may be additional funding for further phases to incorporate successful solutions onto prototypes under development (using a different commercial arrangement through Defence Equipment and Support’s Aurora Engineering Partnership). Supporting events Dial-in session 07 June 2024 – A dial-in session providing further detail on the problem space from the Army’s competition team, with a chance to ask questions in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page . We invite Expressions of Interest (by 17 Jun 2024) where there are sensitive questions that you would prefer to pose either about the competition or the scope of your proposal. DASA has a team of Innovation Partners that can provide you with support in working with DASA. If you want to submit an expression of interest (by 17 June 2024) we encourage you to speak to your local DASA Innovation Partner .

The proposals must address innovative defence products, solutions and technologies, including those that can improve readiness, deployability, reliability, safety and sustainability of forces in defence tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, infrastructure, energy solutions, surveillance systems or digital solutions. Proposals must address disruptive knowledge, products and technologies in any area of defence interest (*) reaching at least TRL 4. In addition, to best complement R&D efforts that already target civil applications and encourage the efficient spinning-in of knowledge, innovation and technological development to the defence sector, this call topic also welcomes proposals for add-on development actions to adapt solutions originally developed for civil applications and previously not applied in the defence sector. Indicative budget: EUR 30.000.000 Apply for this call (*) As described in the two Guidance Notes on the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) – C(2024) 3148 final of 8.5.2024 and C(2025) 6798 of 23.12.2025 available here: STEP documents – European Union

The proposals must demonstrate their disruptive impact on defence applications and address innovative technologies and solutions for defence, including those that can improve the readiness, deployability, reliability, safety and sustainability of forces in defence tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, infrastructure, energy solutions, surveillance systems or digital solutions. Proposals must address disruptive knowledge, products and technologies in any area of defence interest (*) reaching at least TRL 4. In addition, to best complement R&D efforts that already target civil applications and encourage the efficient spinning-in of knowledge, innovation and technological development to the defence sector, this topic also welcomes proposals for add-on research actions to adapt solutions originally developed for civilian applications and previously not applied in defence. Indicative budget: EUR 35.000.000 Specific to this call: Proposals (Part B) are limited to maximum 50 pages, counting the work package descriptions. Only three criteria apply for evaluation, which will be performed in a cascade approach. More info available in the call document. Apply for this call (*) As described in the two Guidance Notes on the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) – C(2024) 3148 final of 8.5.2024 and C(2025) 6798 of 23.12.2025 available here: STEP documents – European Union

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is to develop technology providing dermal protection against liquid chemicals. Introduction This Defence and Security Accelerator ( DASA ) competition is seeking proposals that will address the challenge of developing a solution to the problem of providing dermal protection against liquid chemical contamination. We are interested in treatments, fabric design, novel constructions or any other approach that prevents the penetration of low surface tension liquids. The overall objective of this competition is to allow the manufacture of protective suits that meet the essential criteria against liquid and vapour given in NATO Standard AEP-72 Volume I - Recommended chemical, biological and TIC challenge levels. Additionally, products should meet the robustness testing detailed in “BS 8467:2006 - Protective clothing. Personal protective ensembles for use against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear ( CBRN ) agents. Categorisation, performance requirements and test methods”. This competition is interested in solutions that move towards this goal. There are two separate Challenges in this competition. Proposals submitted under Challenge 1 should detail a programme of work to demonstrate basic liquid protection properties, with potential to be progressed further towards the specific chemical warfare protection requirements, specified in Challenge 2. All proposals funded under this challenge will be invited to submit an additional proposal meeting the requirements of Challenge 2 Proposals submitted under Challenge 2 should detail a programme of work to demonstrate a more comprehensive chemical agent challenge. The Technology Readiness Level of the final output for this work should be at least TRL5. Total funding available The total possible funding available for this competition is £2.6 million (excluding VAT ). We anticipate to fund up to 10 proposals for each challenge. We are expecting proposals to cost no more than £100,000 for Challenge 1 and £200,000 for Challenge 2 , but we reserve the right to fund proposals higher than these amounts. Submission deadline 12:00 Midday on 15 April 2025 (BST) Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. You must not submit any information classified above Official. If you wish to add supporting information which might be Official-Sensitive or Secret you should contact DASA (accelerator@dstl.gov.uk) in advance and we will discuss solutions with you.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks innovative, cost-competitive proposals designed for manufacture and scalable in twelve months. Introduction This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is looking for innovative proposals that are cost competitive, designed for manufacture, and can be scaled in an approximate twelve-month timeframe. This is phase two of a multi-cycle competition. This phase is expected to consist of three Cycles (Cycles 4, 5 and 6). Proposals submitted by the cycle deadline will follow the DASA “How your proposal will be assessed” process with contracting immediately afterwards for successful proposals. DASA reserves the right to change challenge areas between cycles, or to close the competition without launching subsequent cycles. Further to this multiple cycle DASA competition, outputs from funded projects may be considered for further development or procurement, subject to contract. In this circumstance the Authority will undertake appropriate procurement activity to ensure value for money and subject to any applicable Regulations that may pertain. Competition Key Information Total Funding Available We expect total funding across cycles 4, 5 and 6 to be £4 Million (excluding VAT). We are expecting proposals to cost no more than £350,000. A number of proposals may be funded Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Reach TRL 6 by the end of the project Project duration Equal to or less than four months from the project start date. With the exception of Challenge 2 – 155mm Artillery Barrel Repair/Recondition, which is equal to or less than six months from the project start date. Cyber Risk Assessment (CRA) number and risk level RAR-240619B04, Very Low Risk Pre-sift criteria See Section 8 Pre-sift Criteria Cycle specific Cycle 4 Cycle 5 Cycle 6 Submission Deadline 12:00 Midday on 20 May 2025 (BST) 12:00 Midday on 5 August 2025 (BST) 12:00 Midday on 14 October 2025 (BST) Contract start month September 2025 December 2025 February 2026 Feedback release date July 2025 October 2025 December 2025 Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service where you will need to register for an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. It is recommended you thoroughly check the mandatory criteria for this competition before you submit your proposal. You must not submit any information classified above Official.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) uses the Open Call for Innovation to find ideas that address challenges across both Defence and Security landscapes. The general requirements common to all Open Call competitions are contained within the ‘Overarching Competition Document’. The scope relating to specific competitions is contained with each respective competition document. Details Notice Please note Open Call for Innovation CY2025 - Cycle 2 has now closed for submissions. For the latest cycle open for submissions please see the current Open Call for Innovation competition documents here . If you are looking for a previous cycle now closed for submissions please refer here The Open Call for Innovation allows innovative ideas to be proposed to Defence and Security stakeholders, even where a specific requirement has not been stipulated. It is a broad mechanism to allow innovators to present disruptive ideas which may otherwise be overlooked. Please read the competition document in full for all details of the Open Call for Innovation competitions currently accepting proposals. Submission deadline 12:00 Midday on 1 July 2025 ( BST ) Where do I submit my proposal? Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

DIANA's 2025 Challenge Call sought dual-use, deep tech solutions across ten challenge areas: Energy & Power, Advanced Communication Technologies, Contested Electromagnetic Environments, Human Resilience & Biotechnology, Critical Infrastructure & Logistics, Operations in Extreme Environments, Maritime Operations, Resilient Space Operations, Autonomy & Unmanned Systems, and Data Assisted Decision Making. Selected innovators receive contractual funding across two accelerator phases and access to DIANA's network of test centres, mentors, and investors across the Alliance.