Press release

Tech challenge launched to counter drone threats in prisons

A new innovation challenge aimed at combatting the growing threat of drones to prisons has been launched by the Ministry of Justice through His Majesty's Government Communications Centre Co-Creation.

From:
Ministry of Justice and Lord Timpson OBE
Published
4 November 2025

  • Industry challenge to find innovative solutions to tackle drone scourge 

  • £60,000 funding prize to develop proposal  

  • Builds on £40m investment to bolster prison security, part of Plan for Change 

A new innovation challenge aimed at combatting the growing threat of drones to prisons has been launched by the Ministry of Justice through His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) Co-Creation.

The Counter-Drone Challenge invites industry to find cutting-edge solutions to detect drones designed by criminals to evade current detection methods available on the market. Successful applicants will receive £60,000 funding to develop proof-of-concept systems over a 12-week period. 

It comes as the number of incidents at prisons involving drones skyrocketed by over 770% between 2019 and 2023, with the devices increasingly being used by organised crime groups to smuggle contraband like drugs and phones into jails. 

The Government is already investing £40 million this year to bolster prison security, including £10 million on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows. 

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, said: 

We have taken decisive action to combat the scourge of drones in prisons - investing heavily in physical security and cutting-edge technology. 

This challenge will help us harness innovation to keep staff safe, disrupt criminal networks and support prisoner rehabilitation.

Solutions put forward for the challenge must be simple to use and legally compliant. 

This challenge is part of the Ministry of Justice’s wider ambition to engage with industry to source innovative security solutions.

It follows a July showcase where businesses presented cutting-edge technologies to ministers, aimed at tackling prison violence, improving monitoring, and strengthening frontline safety. 

Further information

  • For more information about the challenge, please contact HMGCC. 

  • HMGCC Co-Creation is a partnership with the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), created to deliver a new bold and innovative way of working with the wider UK science and technology community. 

  • It works by sharing OpTech challenges with wide-ranging networks of academia and industry, then working closely with them on solutions. 

  • The idea is about using networks to tap into a huge pool of expertise, to help wider government keep pace with rapid advances in technology. 

  • Businesses showcase tough justice tech to Government ministers - GOV.UK

Updates to this page

Published 4 November 2025