News story

£750,000 competition launched to find disruptive ideas for the future of defence

Novel Disruptive Science Impacting Future Defence and Security: Help DASA and Dstl discover creative technologies and concepts that may disrupt the future of defence

  • DASA has launched a new Themed Competition: Novel Disruptive Science Impacting Future Defence and Security
  • Funded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
  • Up to £750,000 funding available for disruptive, early stage ideas and concepts that may be used as the basis for further research within the Defence Science and Technology Futures (DSTF) Programme.
  • The competition will be run over two phases

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition: Novel Disruptive Science Impacting Future Defence and Security. Run on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), this competition seeks exciting concepts, technologies or ideas that may disrupt the future of defence.

The outcome from Phase 1 of this competition is anticipated to be a pool of novel science and technology (S&T) ideas and concepts that may disrupt the defence landscape and have the potential to lead to radical change.

A disruptive impact is something that radically alters how we do things – this can be positive (e.g. a new capability becomes available) or negative (e.g. a new type of threat arises).

Upon completion of Phase 1, we will seek to direct further funds to a number of projects deemed to offer the most potential for Defence or Security. Phase 2 will see funded suppliers explore how to continue their research; the most promising suppliers may be allocated a proportion of £750,000 (ex VAT) to further mature their ideas or concepts.

Key dates and funding

  • £750,000 (Exc. VAT) funding is available for this Themed Competition. The value of each funded submission is £50,000

  • The deadline to submit a proposal is midday GMT Tuesday 5 December 2023

Do you have disruptive idea or concept? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal.

We are interested in low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) ideas (TRL 1-2) from any discipline that may disrupt current ways of innovating, which could in the future either benefit defence or security, or form the basis of countering a threat. We would like you to provide us with an exciting flavour of what might be possible and be disruptive.

Proposals submitted for this competition do not need to fulfil contemporary defence requirements.

To learn more about the challenge area of the competition, read the full competition document.

Supporting events

Webinar

31 October 2023 10:30 - 12:00pm GMT

This dial-in session will provide further details 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

Submit a proposal

Do you have an innovation that may help develop new technologies or concepts that may disrupt the future of defence? Read the full competition document to learn more and submit a proposal.

Published 17 October 2023