Notice

Competition Document: Security Open Call 2026 Cycle 1

Updated 3 August 2026

1. Introduction 

The Security Open Call is one of the funding competition mechanisms UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) uses to find proposals that address security challenges faced by government stakeholders. 

It seeks proposals for innovations from UK industry and academia which can have realistic impact across the UK security landscape in line with one of the Competition Focus Areas. 

In this multi-cycle competition, we will run a 2-stage process within each cycle. This approach helps innovators quickly understand whether their idea is a good fit for the competition, saving time and effort when applying. It also enables a more efficient assessment process. The table below summarises the differences and expectations of the 2 stages. 

STAGE	PURPOSE	EXPECTED CONTENT
Submission Stage 1	Facilitates initial innovation review	Idea overview covering strategic fit, idea compatibility, expected TRL, exploitation potential, project scope and timeline (1000 words maximum)
Submission Stage 2	Enables full detailed proposal assessment (by invitation only)	Detailed proposal with full technical description, detailed project plan and finance breakdown (approx. 9000 words)

All Stage 1 submissions will be carefully reviewed by UKDI and relevant Partners Across Government. They will look for ideas that align well with the Competition Focus Areas, demonstrate a strong chance of successful delivery, and meet the stakeholders needs. Submissions that demonstrate a good fit will be invited to progress to Stage 2 and submit a full proposal. 

2. Competition key information 

Key Information	Competition Details
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)	Ending at TRL 6-7 dependant on the Testing and Trialling Option
Contract start month	Aim to start 8 weeks after Stage 2 decision release
Project duration	Equal to or less than 12 months (6 months if Testing and Trialling- only, 18 months if Testing and Trialling Option included)
Pre-sift criteria	See Section 12 Pre-sift Criteria

2.1 Schedule 

Cycle	Stage 1 Open	Stage 1 Close	Stage 1 Outcome release	Stage 2 Open (by invitation only)	Stage 2 Close	Stage 2 decision release	Stage 2 feedback release	Funded Focus Area
2026 -1	12:00 Midday on 3rd August 2026 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 27th August 2026 (BST)	30th September 2026	12:00 Midday on 1st October 2026 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 29th October 2026 (GMT)	14th December 2026	11th January 2027	Home Office; NPSA
2026 -2	12:00 Midday on 1st October 2026 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 29th October 2026 (GMT)	30th November 2026	12:00 Midday on 1st December 2026 (GMT)	12:00 Midday on 28th January 2027 (GMT)	11th March 2027	25th March 2027	Home Office; NPSA
2027 -1	12:00 Midday on 4th January 2027 (GMT)	12:00 Midday on 28th January 2027 (GMT)	26th February 2027	12:00 Midday on 1st March 2027 (GMT)	12:00 Midday on 31st March 2027 (BST)	14th May 2027	14th May 2027	TBC*
2027 -2	12:00 Midday on 1st March 2027 (GMT)	12:00 Midday on 31st March 2027 (BST)	30th April 2027	12:00 Midday on 4th May 2027 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 28th May 2027 (BST)	18th July 2027	30th July 2027	TBC*
2027 -3	12:00 Midday on 4th May 2027 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 28th May 2027 (BST)	30th June 2027	12:00 Midday on 1st July 2027 (BST)	12:00 Midday on 30th July 2027 (BST)	8th October 2027	22nd October 2027	TBC*

*Subject to Stakeholder Funding - Cycle will not run if Stakeholder funding is not available 

2.2 Competition Specific Requirements 

Please note that this competition has specific requirements as part of its pre-sift criteria for both Stage 1 and Stage 2; only those proposals submitted that demonstrate compliance with the UKDI pre-sift criteria at each stage will be taken forward to full review at Stage 1 and assessment at Stage 2. 

For the full list of criteria, please see Section 12. 

2.3 Where do I submit my proposal? 

Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 proposals are to be submitted via the UKDI Online Submission Service where you will need to register for an account if you don’t already have one. Only proposals submitted through the UKDI Online Submission Service will be accepted. 

Innovators are strongly advised to submit their proposal at least one hour before the specified deadline. Proposals submitted close to the deadline risk encountering issues that cannot be resolved in time.  

Responsibility for timely submission rests entirely with the innovator, no deadline extensions will be granted. If you are having problems submitting your proposal, email us prior to the deadline on accelerator@dstl.gov.uk or call 01980 950000 option 3 Monday to Friday 0900-1200 only). 

3. Public facing information 

3.1 Submission Stage 1 

UKDI will not use any information provided in Stage 1 for any purpose other than reviewing the content in line with the Stage 1 review process.  

3.2 Submission Stage 2 

When submitting your Stage 2 proposal, you will be required to include a title, Proposal Value Proposition Statement (PVPS) and a short abstract. The title, PVPS and abstract you provide describes your project and will be used by UKDI, and Partners Across Government, to consider its intended outcomes and benefits.  

If successfully funded, the PVPS and abstract may be utilised by UKDI in communication material relating to this competition such as event brochures. As this information may be shared, it should not contain information that may compromise Intellectual Property. 

3.3 Further guidance 

For further guidance on what to expect during the submission process and how your proposal will be assessed, please see the following GOV.UK pages and forms: 

• Submit a proposal 

• Assessment process and criteria 

• UKDI: ethical, legal and regulatory guidance 

• MODREC Guidance for Suppliers 

• UKDI contracting guidance 

• Competition Terms and Conditions 

• Cyber Security Model 

• How to work with UKDI 

4. Available Support 

During the competition phase all correspondence must be via the UKDI Points of Contact detailed below. 

While all reasonable efforts will be made to answer queries, UKDI reserves the right to impose management controls if volume of queries restrict fair access of information to all potential innovators. 

4.1 UKDI Innovation Partner 

UKDI has a team of locally based Innovation Partners who provide dedicated guidance to innovators based in the UK to support UK innovation and strengthen the domestic defence and security industrial base. It is strongly recommended that you contact your local Innovation Partner to discuss your idea for any aspect of this competition.  

You can initiate this through the submission of an Innovation Outline through the UKDI Online Submission Service. Select “UKDI Innovation Outline” and then “Innovation Outline: Security Open Call 2026”. Please note this is not your Stage 1 submission - Submitting an Innovation Outline does not constitute an application to this competition. 

4.2 UKDI Help Centre 

Competition queries including on process, application, commercial, technical and intellectual property aspects should be sent to the UKDI Help Centre at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, quoting the competition title: Security Open Call Cycle 1.  

UKDI cannot guarantee a response before the submission deadline if the query is received within two weeks of the Stage 1 submission deadline or within three weeks of the Stage 2 submission deadline.  This applies to both Innovation Partners and Help Centre. 

5. Competition scope 

5.1 Background 

The Security Open Call is seeking innovative ideas that address security challenges identified within the specific stakeholder Competition Focus Areas. The competition aims to strengthen UK security while supporting growth and prosperity across the UK. 

To illustrate how the Security Open Call provides benefit to both suppliers and end users, below are case studies of previously funded UKDI Security Open Call projects. These examples are provided for information only and should not be taken as an indication of the specific areas of interest for this competition. 

• Trilateral

  DASA funding helps drive ethical artificial intelligence community safeguarding application from proof of concept to product launch 

• Createc

  Crowd watch: DASA funded AI and LiDAR innovation helps enhance crowd safety

Details on funding awarded through previous competitions can be found within our  transparency data. 

5.2 Scope 

Innovators may submit proposals into the Security Open Call which address any of the Competition Focus Areas outlined below, and meet the following overarching requirements: 

• Funded projects are expected to deliver a technology model or prototype demonstration at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or 7. This demonstration should be at a limited scale and in the context or environment in which it is expected that the solution would be used. The project should include all of the activities that are required to provide this limited demonstration, including research and development and/or testing and trialling. 

• Your project should have a realistic prospect of achieving an impact within a 2-year time frame from the completion of the project. The impact could be realised in a number of ways. For example, this could be through operational deployment of the developed idea, entry of the idea into the security sector supply chain (directly or through partners), the idea informing future procurement, equipment programme options, or by informing policy choices. Ideas that would have little or no impact within 2 years of the contract concluding are unlikely to be funded.  

• Applications will only be accepted from UK-based organisations, or from the UK-registered entity of an international organisation, where it is planned to carry out the work in the UK. 

5.3 Testing and Trialling 

Projects may include an optional, separately priced Testing and Trialling phase to take a project from TRL 6 to TRL 7. Alternatively, proposals may consist solely of a Testing and Trialling phase for ideas already at TRL 6. 

The purpose of Testing and Trialling is to enable innovators to gather evidence from an operational environment, further refine their innovation, and assess its suitability for end-user needs. 

If you are including a Testing and Trialling phase as a separate option alongside a wider project, this should be described within the ‘Testing and Trialling’ section of your Stage 2 proposal and should include: 

• Objectives and scope of the activity 

• Timescales and key milestones 

• Expected deliverables 

• Total cost of the Testing and Trialling phase 

Applicants should include all associated costs, such as travel and subsistence, and any charges incurred through the use of third-party sites or facilities (for example, airports, national infrastructure, or publicly accessible locations). 

Testing and Trialling costs should be provided only within the ‘Testing and Trialling’ section of the Stage 2 proposal and should not be included in the ‘Finance’ or ‘Delivery Schedule’ sections. 

Where a Testing and Trialling phase is proposed, contracts will include an option that allows UKDI to fund this additional phase following successful completion of the main project. UKDI is under no obligation to exercise this option. The decision to proceed will be based on the outcomes of the development and demonstration activities, and UKDI may decide not to fund the Testing and Trialling phase if the project does not demonstrate sufficient progress or evidence of success. 

If your proposal consists solely of a Testing and Trialling phase, you should not complete the ‘Testing and Trialling’ section of the Stage 2 proposal. Instead, complete all other sections of the application form as if the Testing and Trialling activity is the main project, including details of the work, costs, deliverables and timetable. 

If you do not wish to include a Testing and Trialling phase, please enter ‘N/A’ in the Testing and Trialling section of your submission. 

The following table gives an overview of the different project options available within this competition. 

5.4 Overarching Requirement Summary 

Project Type	Maximum Duration	Starting TRL	Completion TRL	Maximum Cost	Notes
Project without a Testing and Trialling option	12 months	No minimum	TRL 6	£350,000	Must not exceed 12 months.
Project with a Testing and Trialling option	18 months	No minimum	TRL 6 (main project), TRL 7 (with option)	£350,000	The main project must deliver at TRL 6; the optional Testing and Trialling phase advances the project to TRL 7.
Testing and Trialling-only project	6 months	TRL 6	TRL 7	£150,000	Must start at TRL 6 and achieve TRL 7 on completion.

Please note there is no minimum project value. Applicants should ensure that proposed costs are proportionate to the scope, duration and complexity of the work being undertaken. Proposals that demonstrate value for money will be viewed favourably.  

Proposals will only be funded if there is an alignment to a Competition Focus Area and strong evidence of capability need for the idea. 

6. Competition Focus Areas 

This competition has the following Challenge Focus Areas open:  

1. Home Office Focus Area 
2. National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) Focus Area 

If your proposal is relevant to more than one Competition Focus Area, submit a separate Stage 1 proposal for each of them. This allows you to use the full word count to explain how your idea aligns with the specific Challenge Areas under the relevant Competition Focus Area. 

6.1 Home Office Focus Area  

6.2 Background 

The Home Office plays a fundamental role in safeguarding the UK’s security and economic prosperity. The Home Office is the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, counter-terrorism and police.  

We welcome proposals that align to priority operational need and demonstrate the potential to deliver tangible improvements in security, efficiency and public safety outcomes. These are articulated through the Challenge Areas summarised below. 

We are particularly interested in proposals that can demonstrate a clear pathway to operational impact and support measurable improvements in security outcomes for the UK. 

6.3 Challenge Areas 

Areas of interest include: 

• Enhancing secure information sharing and collaboration across policing, government and partner organisations. 
• Developing new approaches to detect, prevent and respond to online harms and technology-enabled crime. 
• Strengthening the UK’s ability to maintain security and resilience in an evolving technological and threat landscape. 
• Improving responses to cyber, hybrid and other high-impact threats through innovative technologies and operational approaches. 
• Increasing the effectiveness of efforts to detect, disrupt and deter organised immigration crime. 

6.4 Challenge Area detail 

Full detail of Challenge Areas can be viewed here. 

6.5 NPSA Focus Area 

6.6 Background 

NPSA is the National Technical Authority (NTA) for physical and people / personnel protective security. A key part of NPSA’s role is to stay ahead of national security threats (terrorism and state threats), and ensure that proportionate, practical, and affordable mitigations are available to a wide variety of public and private sector users. 

Whilst NPSA concentrates on testing and evaluating the latest protective security products to reach the market to inform our guidance on their performance, use-cases and effective implementation, industry and academia have a crucial role to play in researching and developing future generations of protective security mitigations. To assist with that, NPSA seeks to highlight protective security needs it would welcome innovative ideas to address. 

Whilst many of the needs relate to physical solutions, we are also interested in innovations that include processes, procedures and behavioural interventions. 

NPSA is currently looking to drive future protective security innovation under two broad themes: 

1. The threat from terrorism has broadened and shifted in focus to include lower-sophistication attacks on venues and public spaces, public premises and events, necessitating a drive for development of new approaches to security as well as innovative ways of reaching and enabling adoption by wider audiences. 

2. The increasing pace of technological change poses challenges as new technologies and next generations of existing technologies introduce new vulnerabilities and opportunities for realising malicious intent, whether by terrorists or states. 

6.7 Challenge Areas 

We are interested in innovative ideas that address protective security in the following Challenge Areas (in no particular order): 

• Low cost, non-ionising radiation, low training burden vehicle screening solutions for explosives, weapons and other threats 
• Use of extended reality (XR) technology for protective security applications 
• Scanning crowds for concealed explosives, weapons and other threats with low compliance required for frictionless entry to sites 
• On the ground detection system used to alert crowds to an approaching vehicle 
• Tester for device-to-vehicle USB-C data blockers  
• Secure device-to-vehicle connections 
• Detection of camera use, specifically in relation to hostile reconnaissance 
• The use of AI in training - incident response simulations to improve organisations’ ability to provide immersive exercising of their incident response procedures 
• Approaches to baseline and monitor system performance over time, ensuring that security provision remains fit for purpose 
• Wide area monitoring - technologies for detecting and tracking intruders across and within sites 

6.8 Challenge Area detail 

Full detail of Challenge Areas can be viewed here . 

7. We are interested in 

We are interested in proposals that: 

• Develop new or novel approaches to achieve existing outcomes within security more efficiently/effectively 
• Develop and demonstrate modern approaches, techniques or equipment to deliver new or enhanced outcomes for security 
• Develop current capability in a novel way to achieve efficiency or enhanced effect for security 
• Provide evidence to the impact of the novel approach/technique across security 
• Present a credible plan and have a realistic prospect for impact in security within a 2-year time frame from the completion of the project funded under this competition 
• Present a clear plan for future development and scaling, including engagement and compliance with any applicable regulatory requirements both within and outside of Security 
• Deliver a technology model or prototype demonstration at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or 7 at the end of the project. This demonstration should be at a limited scale and in the context or environment in which it is expected that the solution would be used 
• Do not exceed 12 months (6 months if proposing Testing and Trialling-only, if including Testing and Trialling as an Option, 18 months in total duration). Please note there is no minimum project duration 
• Do not exceed £350,000 (or exceed £150,000 if proposing Testing and Trialling-only) 
• Provides a sound justification of why HM Government should fund the development of the innovation 

8. We are not interested in 

We are not interested in proposals that: 

• Directly address other UKDI competitions that are currently running at the point of cycle close 
• Address more than one Competition Focus Area within the same proposal 
• Have a TRL at end of project lower than TRL 6 or higher than TRL 7 
• Have a starting TRL less than TRL 6 if proposing Testing and Trialling only 
• Exceed the project duration of 12 months (6 months if proposing Testing and Trialling only, 18 months in total duration if including Testing and Trialling Option) 
• Exceed £350,000 in value (or exceed £150,000 if proposing Testing and Trialling only) 
• Address challenges that are not aligned to the specific scope of a Focus Area of this competition 
• Constitute consultancy, paper-based studies or literature reviews which just summarise the existing literature without any view of future innovation 
• Are an unsolicited resubmission of a previous UKDI bid 
• Offer demonstrations of off-the-shelf products requiring no experimental development (unless applied in a novel way to meet the security environment) 
• Offer no real long-term prospect of integration into security capabilities 
• Offer no real prospect of out-competing existing technological solutions 

9. Critical elements to include 

9.1 Submission Stage 1 

Stage 1 submissions must include the following elements: 

• An explanation and evidence how the idea aligns to the specific Competition Focus Area need  
• An outline of the key differentiating concept to any current or other potential solutions for example how it is a new/novel way of working/technology/material etc. 
• A summary of the impact for security in terms of performance and time at both the end of the potential project and end of any subsequent exploitation pathway e.g. better performance, reduced time to undertake tasking etc. 
• Outline how you expect to take the solution to market on completion of the project and the time to commercialising the solution 
• An explanation (if applicable) of who your partner organisations would be and your current commercial relationships 
• Reference to any projects or programmes you may be aware of to which your project could integrate 
• Your start and end TRL, anticipated project duration, and what you will achieve at the end of the project 
• A brief description of your project’s main technical risk and an appropriate mitigation 
• Any need for Government Furnished X (GFX) meaning Government Furnished Assets (GFA) (including Government Furnished Information (GFI)). Indicate whether you could deliver the project without GFX 
• Whether there are any  legal or ethical concerns including MODREC approval, RIPA, data protection considerations you will need to address in a Stage 2 proposal  

9.2 Submission Stage 2 

When writing your proposal, ensure you have: 

• Used exactly the same title and abstract and included the relevant ACC number to those provided to us at Stage 1 
• Answered all questions contained within the submission service online application form, addressing the requirements of this competition by utilising the guidance provided at the Submit a proposal section of the website and also within the UKDI Online Submission Service application form 
• Included a list of other government funding you have received in this area. Making it clear how this proposal differs from that work 
• Included a detailed project plan with clear milestones and deliverables. Deliverables need to be well defined and designed to provide evidence of progress against the project plan. Your deliverables must include a written final report 
• Planned (and costed) attendance at the following meetings, which will all be in the UK  
• a kick-off meeting at the start of the project 
• monthly reviews with the appointed Technical Partner and Project Manager 
• demonstration
• close down meeting at the end of the project 

These activities may take place virtually. Slides presented at these meetings should be appropriately marked and made available. 

• Identified any ethical / legal / regulatory factors. Associated risks should have been added to the Risk Register in Step 5 of the submission service along with details of how they will be managed, including break points in the project if approvals are not received 
• You must include any requirements for access to Government Furnished X (GFX). GFX is the preferred nondescript term for anything that the Government provides in which the ‘X’ could be artefacts such as information or equipment. UKDI cannot guarantee that GFX will be made available. You should include an alternative plan in your proposal in case it is not available. 
• Not relied on information contained within your Stage 1 submission. Stage 2 applications may be assessed by those who have not seen your Stage 1 submission. Therefore, ensure all information required to support your application is included within the Stage 2 proposal itself. 

10. Accelerating and exploiting your innovation 

Ensure your deliverables are designed with the aim of making it as easy as possible for assessors to recognise expected development in technology maturity of the potential solution over the lifetime of the project. Specifically, how this demonstrates improved capability against the current known (or presumed) solutions. 

Upon completion of a UKDI awarded project, ideas may mature and accelerate under the guidance of appropriate stakeholders toward being a functional capability. How long this takes, and how far towards a deployable capability the innovation progresses, will depend on any future exploitation activity after the completion of the UKDI project. 

10.1 Exploitation beyond your Project Plan 

Include the following information within the ‘Desirability – Exploitation beyond the Project Plan’ question within the UKDI Online Submission Service application form at Stage 2 to help the assessors understand your exploitation intentions: 

• Expected additional work required beyond the end of the contract to develop an operationally deployable commercial product (for example, “scaling up” for manufacture, cyber security, integration with existing technologies, environmental operating conditions) 
• Additional future applications and wider markets for exploitation 
• Wider collaborations and networks you have already developed or any additional relationships you see as a requirement to support exploitation 
• How your product could be tested in a representative environment in later phases 
• Any specific legal, ethical, commercial or regulatory considerations for exploitation 

10.2 Supporting the exploitation 

Innovators funded through this competition may be offered a range of services provided by UKDI that are designed to help suppliers consider how they might maximise the potential for their innovation to develop into a procurable capability that could enter the security market. 

11. Proposal word count 

11.1 Stage 1 

Refer to the word count limit shown in the UKDI Online Submission Service for the Stage 1 submission. 

Stage 1 Proposal Section	Maximum Word Count
Strategic Fit	200
Security Compatibility	350
Exploitation beyond the Project Plan	250
Project Delivery	150

11.2 Stage 2 

The following maximum word counts apply to the Stage 2 assessment criteria:  

Stage 2 Proposal Section	Maximum Word Count
Desirability – including Strategic fit and Compatibility	2250
Desirability – Exploitation beyond the Project Plan	750
Feasibility	3000
Viability	3000
Testing and Trialling Option	500

Word counts are maximum limits. Applicants are encouraged to provide concise responses and should not exceed the stated word counts.

A Stage 2 offline template is provided here. Note this is provided for information purposes only and should not be used for submission.

12. Pre-sift Criteria  

Before your submission is reviewed, all proposals will be checked for compliance with the UKDI pre-sift criteria. Proposals will be rejected before full review if they do not comply. 

We may use a UKDI-approved AI tool to assist in the pre-sifting of innovator submissions. The use of AI will not alter our existing approach to protecting innovators’ intellectual property, confidentiality, or data. All submissions will continue to be handled in accordance with the same security, confidentiality, and intellectual property safeguards that currently apply to the competition process. The AI tool will be used solely to support the evaluation process and will not make autonomous decisions. Any outputs generated by the AI tool will be reviewed by a human decision-maker, who will make the final determination regarding progression through the pre-sift stages. 

12.1 Submission Stage 1 

To progress to a review of your idea, proposals must pass all Stage 1 pre-sift criteria. Failure against any single criterion will result in the proposal being excluded from further review  

Security Open Call 2026 Cycle 1 Stage 1 pre-sift criteria are as follows: 

Criteria	Measure - Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)
The Proposal has been received from a UK-based organisation, or from the UK-registered entity of an international organisation, with work being undertaken in the UK.	Pass / Fail
The Proposal only has one Competition Focus Area selected	Pass / Fail
The Proposal outlines how it aligns to a Challenge Area(s) within the scope of the competition	Pass / Fail
The innovation will deliver at no lower than TRL 6 and no higher than TRL 7 at the conclusion of your project	Pass / Fail
The project duration is equal to or less than 12 months from T0 (18 months total if including Testing and Trialling Option, 6 months if for Testing and Trialling Only) where T0 is the project start date agreed by both parties	Pass / Fail

12.2 Submission Stage 2 

For more information on how your proposal will be assessed at Stage 2 please read Assessment process and criteria. To progress to full assessment, proposals must pass all Stage 2 pre-sift criteria. Failure against any single criterion will result in the proposal being excluded from further assessment. 

Security Open Call 2026 Cycle 1 Stage 2 pre-sift criteria are as follows: 

Criteria	Measure - Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)
The Proposal was invited to submit into the specified Stage 2 Cycle, and includes the Stage 1 ACC number in the Proposal (Step 3)	Pass / Fail
The Proposal contains exactly the same title and abstract as the Stage 1 submission	Pass / Fail
The Stage 2 Proposal is submitted by the same organisation as the accepted Stage 1 submission	Pass / Fail
The Proposal has been received from a UK-based organisation, or from the UK-registered entity of an international organisation, with work being undertaken in the UK	Pass / Fail
The Proposal must reflect the same Testing and Trialling status as selected at Stage 1	Pass / Fail
The Proposal outlines how it meets the scope of the competition	Pass / Fail
The Proposal explains how it meets the UKDI criteria (Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability) in the relevant questions in Step 3 of the submission service	Pass / Fail
The Proposal explains exploitation beyond the project plan in the ‘Desirability – Exploitation beyond the Project Plan’ question within the submission service	Pass / Fail
The Proposal must contain a financial plan, a project plan and a resourcing plan which demonstrate how the work proposed will be completed	Pass / Fail
Value of the Proposal is no more than £350,000 or £150,000 for Testing and Trialling only	Pass / Fail
The Final deliverable is a Milestone Payment including, as a minimum, a Final Written Report	Pass / Fail
Projects not including Testing and Trialling achieve a final TRL of TRL 6. This must be correctly stated in the TRL section of the Proposal	Pass / Fail
Projects including the Testing and Trialling Option must achieve a final TRL of TRL 6 at the end of the initial project and no higher than TRL 7 at the end of the Testing and Trialling Option. This must be correctly stated in the TRL section of the Proposal	Pass / Fail
Testing and Trialling-only projects start at TRL 6 and achieve TRL 7 on completion. This must be correctly stated in the TRL section of the Proposal	Pass / Fail
The project duration does not exceed 12 months from T0 for the initial project work reaching TRL 6. Projects that include an optional Testing and Trialling phase must not exceed 18 months in total. Testing and Trialling-only projects should not exceed 6 months. T0 is the project start date agreed by both parties.	Pass / Fail
The Proposal does not contain attachments that have been used for additional text data over the stated word counts in Desirability, Feasibility, Viability and Additional Information	Pass / Fail

13. How your proposal will be assessed 

13.1 Submission Stage 1 

Submissions into Stage 1 of this competition will be reviewed by UKDI and Stakeholder representatives for applicability to the identified/selected Competition Focus Area. Those that are selected will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal in Stage 2. 

13.2 Submission Stage 2 

Stage 2 proposals that are compliant will be assessed against the standard UKDI assessment criteria (Desirability, Feasibility and Viability) by subject matter experts from the MOD - including Dstl and front-line military commands (if required) and Partners Across Government. You will not have the opportunity to view or comment on assessors’ recommendations. 

UKDI reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from innovators during the procurement process, which includes the full proposal, to any third party engaged by UKDI for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting UKDI in the evaluation of your proposal. In providing such information you consent to such disclosure. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place. 

After assessment, proposals will be discussed at a Decision Conference where funding decisions are made based on the assessments, budget and wider strategic considerations. 

Innovators are not permitted to attend the Decision Conference.  

14. UKDI Terms and Conditions 

Please read the UKDI contracting guidance which contains important information for innovators. For this competition we will be using the Innovation Standard Contract (ISC), Terms and Conditions. Information on the relevant DEFCONs can be found by registering on the Knowledge in Defence site. 

We require unqualified acceptance of the Terms and Conditions. Where innovators organisations have a commercial department, they will need to provide acceptance.  

We will use deliverables from UKDI contracts in accordance with our rights detailed in the contract Terms and Conditions. 

Outputs from funded projects may be considered for further development or procurement, subject to contract. In this circumstance the Authority (Secretary of State for Defence, acting on behalf of the Crown) will undertake appropriate procurement activity to ensure value for money and subject to any applicable Regulations that may pertain. 

If, following completion, a project is selected for further development or procurement, then additional or alternative Terms and Conditions may likely apply to any future contract. 

14.1 Feedback 

Proposals that are unsuccessful at Stage 2 will receive feedback in the form of bullet points and a couple of short paragraphs after the Decision Conference. 

Where a proposal meets the fundable requirements for a competition at Stage 2, but is not funded, UKDI will continue to seek funding and shall consider your proposal fundable for 12 months from the date of the feedback release. 

We will share the abstract, Proposal Value Proposition Statement (PVPS) and title of your proposal with partners across His Majesty’s Government that may express an interest in funding the proposal, in accordance with the competition document. We may also share this information on our cross-government Ideas Marketplace platform to foster collaboration and attempt to elicit funding. If partners across His Majesty’s Government wish to read the full proposal to decide if they will fund it, we will share the full proposal with them without seeking your permission if it is within 60 days of the feedback release date. If it is over 60 days since the feedback release date, we will seek your permission before sharing the full proposal with them. 

For other potential funders, we will seek your permission before sharing the full proposal regardless of the number of days since the feedback release date. 

In the event that funding becomes available, UKDI may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms. Your official UKDI feedback will indicate if your proposal was deemed fundable but not awarded funding at the time. 

15. If your proposal is recommended for funding 

Funded projects will be allocated a Project Manager (to monitor the project) and a Technical Partner (as a technical point of contact). In addition, the UKDI team may work with an innovator to support delivery and exploitation including, when appropriate, introductions to end-users and business support to help develop their business. 

15.1 Cyber Security Model 

The Cyber Security Model (CSM) is how Defence builds cyber security into its supply chain. 

On receipt of a FUND decision, successful innovators (and their sub-contractors) must prove cyber resilience before the contract is awarded. The start of this process is the submission of a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ allows innovators to demonstrate compliance with the specified risk level and the corresponding profile in Def Stan 05-138, and the level of control required will depend on this risk level. 

The SAQ will be automatically scored against the Cyber Risk Profile (CRP) and you will be immediately informed of the outcome, compliant or not compliant. 

If non-compliant, you will be required to complete a Cyber Implementation Plan (CIP) before the contract is placed which will need to be reviewed and agreed with the relevant project manager. The CIP template can be found here. 

Before you start your SAQ you will need: 

• the Risk Assessment Reference, which will be provided after receipt of a FUND decision 

• a D-U-N-S number (a unique identifier for your organisation) 

• a GOV.UK One Login