Open Call Innovation Focus Areas
Updated 29 April 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-and-security-accelerator-dasa-open-call-for-innovation/open-call-innovation-focus-areas
Notice
The DASA Open Call for Innovation guidance has been updated, with this publication being superseded from the opening of CY2025 Cycle 1 (25th February 2025) onwards. 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
1. What are Innovation Focus Areas?
Whilst the Open Call welcomes a wide range of innovative ideas to solve defence and security problems, DASA is keen to share insight on specific topics of interest and seek proposals to address more specific enduring challenges faced by our defence and security customers; we call these Innovation Focus Areas (IFAs). Our IFAs are often broad in scope and will always be open for a minimum of two Open Call cycles.
Each IFA has a unique identifier allocated to it. Solutions proposed to address any innovation focus area should be submitted under the Open Call Innovation Focus Areas section of the submission service, selecting the relevant unique identifier. We use this unique identifier to help us ensure that your innovation is seen by the appropriate parts of Government so it is important this is correctly selected. You should also use the unique identifier in all communications with DASA regarding the IFA.
This page will be updated as new innovation focus areas are added, amended or removed, in response to the evolving needs of our defence and security stakeholders. It is therefore recommended that you set up an alert for this page so you are aware of changes.
2. Current Innovation Focus Areas
The following IFAs are either open for submission or have been temporarily paused; please note that if DASA has paused an IFA it means there is currently an expectation that it may become available again in the future. We will indicate when it is estimated the IFA will become available again for submission in the body of the text.
Please only select one IFA per submission; if your idea can potentially address more than one IFA please submit separate proposals ensuring you detail how your idea addresses the specific requirements of each IFA.
2.1 IFA042 – Unlocking the true potential of Test and Evaluation for Defence
Unique Identifier: IFA042
This IFA is part of a wider MOD T&E Transformation Programme Fund that was launched for MOD submission in 2023. This fund asked MOD to propose ideas that explore, and adopt new ways of thinking about, conducting and exploiting T&E.
To find out more about this IFA please follow this link
This IFA will be open for submissions until the close of this cycle (FY24/25 Cycle 4), after which time it will then pause until further notice.
2.2 IFA035 - Making Science Fiction a Reality: Future Directed Energy Weapons
Unique Identifier: IFA035
This IFA is seeking proposals which present ideas to contribute to the first generation of deployed Directed Energy Weapons. We are interested in novel ideas to enhance the performance and/or reduce the size, mass and volume of system and sub system areas associated with laser and Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapons.
To find out more about this IFA please follow this link.
This IFA is currently paused until further notice. It is not currently open for submissions.
3. What should be included in your proposal?
You should consider the challenges of the IFA when completing your proposal and detail how your innovation will address those challenges whilst also ensuring you address the following requirements:
4. Past Innovation Focus Areas
Details of past Innovation Focus Areas are listed here.