Guidance

Innovative Research Call 2023 for Explosives and Weapons Detection: Competition Document

Updated 16 August 2023

New Clarifications added 16 August 2023

Introduction: The Innovative Research Call (IRC), run by DASA seeks proposals to develop innovative scientific and technical solutions for improved detection of explosives and weapons capability.

The IRC2023 for Explosives and Weapons Detection is funded and supported through 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 (DHS)
• Home Office, Border Force (BF)
• Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

The competition seeks proposals for the screening of:

• Buildings and Areas
• Goods
• People and / or their Possessions
• Vehicles

This will be the sixth run of the IRC, with successful calls occurring in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2020.

This competition closes on 30 August 2023 at 12:00 midday (BST).

1. Competition key information

1.1 Submission deadline

This competition closes at 12:00 midday (BST) 30 August 2023. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

1.2 Timeline for competition and deadlines

Competition opens	13 July 2023
Clarification Questions Submitted by	4 August 2023
Clarification Question Response Document Available	16 August 2023
Competition closes	30 August 2023 – 12:00 midday (BST)
Feedback release by	27 October 2023
Phase 1 Contracts Start	1 December 2023
Phase 1 Contracts End	31 May 2024
Phase 2 Contracts Starts	1 October 2024
Phase 2 Contracts End	31 May 2026

1.3 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.

1.4 Total funding available

A total of up to £3.06 million will be split across two phases, with around £1 million available in Phase 1 and about £2.06 million available in Phase 2 (excluding VAT).
In Phase 1, you will demonstrate proof of concept of your proposed innovation. Projects can be funded up to £70,000 (capped limit for Phase 1 proposals) and may last up to 6 months. Applications for Phase 1 projects that require no funding, or minimal funding, to achieve proof of concept will be welcome.

Phase 2 will only be open to applicants that have successfully completed a Phase 1 project. All successful suppliers participating in Phase 1 will be encouraged to apply for Phase 2. Bids for Phase 2 will be down-selected based upon their Phase 1 deliverables and proposals for Phase 2. In Phase 2, you will develop and evaluate prototypes or demonstrators of your innovation. Phase 2 projects could last up to a maximum of 20 months.

Please note, this is the first phase of funding for a multi-phase competition. It is compulsory to apply for Phase 1 if you want to be considered in Phase 2.

All funded projects must be completed by 31 May 2026, but may finish before that date.

1.5 Clarification Questions

Potential bidders are able to submit clarification questions until the 4 August 2023. These questions should seek to clarify elements of this competition document and not be about potential proposals. Responses to these questions will be published on the Defence and Security Accelerator website by Wednesday 16 August 2023. Questions should be submitted to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk with the title ‘IRC2023 Clarification Question’.

2. Competition Scope

2.1 Background

The UK Government, our international allies, and security end-users across the private and public sector have a broad range of operational requirements. While there is already a range of excellent equipment and capable solutions commercially available and in service, there remains an enduring requirement to develop and enhance our capabilities, in order to stay ahead of the threat and keep pace with the rapid rate of change.

Terrorists and other criminals continuously innovate and explore new methods of attack and ways of operating, leading to a diversification in the nature of the threat. Attacks in recent years have seen a range of methodologies used - ranging from home-made explosives, firearms and bladed weapons – perpetrated by both organised groups and lone actors. As the threat continues to change, exploitation of the latest scientific and technical development enhances operational capability in order to respond to the evolving landscape.

The IRC seeks to develop and improve explosives and weapons detection capability across a range of use cases, to enable earlier detection of terrorist and criminal activity. These span across the system: from preventing the illegal flow of precursor materials and firearms crossing the border; to detecting the transportation of explosives and weapons by threat actors between locations; and disrupting the use of explosive and weapons to cause harm.

2.2 Scope

The overarching aim of IRC 2023 is to develop detection technologies and methods that provide innovative and reliable capability against a significant proportion of current and future explosives and weapons threats. Where possible, such solutions should have applicability to a range of operational contexts; as guidance, our expectation is that proposals in Phase 1 are expected to reach TRL 2-3 and for Phase 2, projects should reach TRL 5-6.Definitions of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) can be found on the DASA website.

The IRC 2023 will be seeking proposals that address the screening of:

• Buildings and Areas
• Goods
• People and/or their Possessions
• Vehicles

Proposals may focus on developing new detection capabilities to add to end-users’ existing suite of equipment. Proposals can develop original ideas or adapt successful technologies/techniques/ processes from other fields. This could include using existing detection capabilities in a wider range of different applications for a broader range of purposes.

Technologies could have a potential dual capability to detect other contraband or threats in addition to the core requirement of explosives and weapons, for example illicit drugs. Where this is the case, proposals should state the potential dual capability, but focus their proposed research and development activity on the core requirement. Proposals that focus on other contraband and not explosives and weapons will not be considered for funding.

Proposals may relate to improving the effectiveness and/or efficiency of detection, however, we are not looking for minor advancements in current technology, instead we seek proposals for revolutionary concepts. Proposals should look to provide tangible technical or operational benefits over the current commercially available state-of-the-art. Examples of benefits may include (but are not limited to):

• Improved detection accuracy;
• Improved range of detectable threats;
• Reduced detection or screening times, allowing greater throughput;
• Reduction of cognitive and/or physical burden on the operator.

The operational impact of any proposed innovation should be proportionate to the benefits the new capability will potentially bring. All bids must include consideration of the impact of any changes to footprints or logistical burdens (such as systems being portable or handheld), and compliance with all appropriate legal and ethical guidelines. Proposals should consider the size, weight, power and cost implications of their innovation. In addition, consideration should be given to the operational context in which the solution might be deployed (e.g. end users’ technical ability, staff training requirements, suitability for the environment).

Examples of potential research areas could include, but are not limited to:

• Novel sensors or materials for threat detection, including adaptation of existing sensor types or techniques from other disciplines;
• Novel deployment of sensors or detection systems, e.g. atmospheric monitoring or waste water monitoring for explosive trace detection;
• Methods to screen multiple items or people at once;
• Enhancing operator decision making, e.g. automated decision making, tools for use with potential multi-input processes;
• Visualisation of chemicals to detect trace residues of explosives (and illicit drugs) on surfaces;
• Measurement techniques which could allow identification of objects concealed inside other objects;
• Production of reliable sources for in-field or laboratory assurance of equipment;
• Human and behavioural factors which could be used to improve the overall security screening system;
• Novel simulation and modelling analysis to improve our understanding of threat or response planning, automation or integration of existing processes;
• Upstream detection – pre-physical screening & scanning can we consider earlier interventions – web crawling, AI, data.

3. Competition Challenges

The competition is split into four challenges:

• Buildings and Areas
• Goods
• People and or their Possessions
• Vehicles

Proposals must address at least one of the four challenges, though some solutions may be applicable to more than one challenge (which should be made clear in your proposal).

Across all challenges, proposals are not expected to address all elements described. Solutions which apply to only one element of a specific challenge may still be of significant benefit when used to augment current detection capabilities.

The primary focus of this competition is to detect explosives and weapons. Depending upon the challenge, this could extend to related items or materials such as: explosive precursors, improvised explosive devices, and component parts. A full glossary is included in the Annex. All proposals must address the competition’s primary focus.

If your proposal has the potential to detect additional contraband or threats in addition to the primary focus, please indicate this, as this may be of interest to IRC 2023 stakeholders, who may wish to explore this independently after this competition.

Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the challenges that follow. For those new to the area, or wishing to further build on their understanding, the following publications are recommended:

• CONTEST Strategy 2018

• ProtectUK

• College of Policing – Tackling Knife Crime including Knife Crime: Evidence Briefing

• Serious and Organised Crime Strategy 2018

4. Challenge 1 : Buildings and Areas

(see Presentation)

This challenge area refers to: the detection of explosives; improvised explosive devices (IEDs); weapons and their component parts, which have been hidden or left within a building or area. This could include items hidden within a building’s structure (e.g., walls, floor), furniture, or its immediate surroundings (e.g. gardens), or concealed within a large open area where people may gather. In addition, threats hidden on routes to and from venues (such as inside street furniture) are within the scope of this challenge, as are rubble environments such as those caused by building collapse.

For search requirements, the type of location to be searched can have a significant impact on the operational scenario – particularly the level of control those conducting the search have over the location and the time available for the search activity. Environmental factors could be:

• the scale of the location to be screened;
• if any structures are permanent or temporary;
• whether the location is generally occupied or typically empty.

The requirement for buildings and areas can be broadly split into two forms of search:

• Defensive searches for explosives and weapons in a location which may be a target due to the people that visit, the nature of events that take place there, or the building as an iconic location. These could be routine, and the likelihood of a threat being hidden could be low.

• Offensive searches in a location after a crime has taken place to collect and find evidence or following directed intelligence that explosives and weapons may be present. These could be one-off searches with high expectation of finding a threat.

Defensive search example: conducting a search of a large political conference may involve the screening of multiple sites (e.g. hotels, conference centre and breakout venues). This could involve an ‘island site’ being created where all non-accredited personnel leave the conference location while the search takes place, and the boundaries are secured. Typically, this search scenario is conducted by specially trained police officers or military personnel, and subsequently any individuals, vehicles or goods brought into the site are searched at a checkpoint. For this type of scenario, there may be the requirement to carry out route searches to allow safe passage to and from the venues for VIP delegates. Route searches could take place across a range of terrain types, including urban environments and rural settings.

For some defensive search scenarios, it may not be possible to create an ‘island site’ and limit access to the location to only accredited personnel. Sports events at a stadium or festivals could require searches of both private and public areas and those where constant access is needed. There may be significant time restrictions on completing the search in order to minimise disruption. Depending on the site, searches may be undertaken by private security staff.

Offensive search example: could involve a scenario where intelligence indicates that a weapon is hidden in a house. This type of search can be much more targeted than the previous examples and takes place over a considerably smaller area. Offensive searches are likely to be carried out to a higher resolution as threats may be smaller (or deconstructed) and hidden in complex hides.

Proposed detection methods for this challenge should specifically consider the implications of environments for deployment, including potential exposure to different weather conditions or terrain. In addition, solutions may involve technology that is hand-held while in-use, portable between locations but static while in-use, or could be installed within a venue as part of fixed infrastructure. Impact on occupants being screened by the method should also be clearly considered.

5. Challenge 2 - Goods

(see Presentation)

This challenge area refers to the detection of explosives, improvised explosive devices, and weapons that are located or concealed within goods. Proposals can also consider screening for component parts of improvised explosive devices and firearms, and precursors of explosives (see glossary in Annex), however this should not be the primary focus of research proposals under this challenge.

The term ‘goods’ can refer to almost anything, but for the purposes of this challenge should be considered as referring to any items or materials being transported between locations. This does not include people and their possessions, which are covered under Challenge 3.

Examples of goods could include:

• Electronics/electrical items
• Foodstuffs including liquids in containers
• Raw materials
• Manufacturing components
• Books/ magazines / newspapers
• Flowers / horticultural products
• Domestic and mixed goods

Goods screening activities could take place at many different environments, including:

• Entrances to controlled zones, such as at ports, airports or private premises
• Parcel distribution hubs
• Checkpoints or borders
• Within mail rooms
• In temporary locations for specific events

Within these environments, there can often be requirements to screen goods within a bounded time to avoid adversely impacting on normal operations or creating backlogs. In addition, these environments may be subject to considerable background complexity which screening technologies may need to filter out – for example, noise, vibration, or additional electrical fields generated by powered conveyor belts. These environments are generally not considered to be “clean” therefore dirt and dust are an environmental consideration.

Goods are often consolidated within larger consignments to reduce overall shipping costs, which means they often require unloading from a delivery vehicle and breaking down into component parts to screen effectively. To minimise delays this needs a large team of people, which is both expensive and inefficient.

Consolidated goods can be a wide variety of sizes, but typical examples include:

Pallets: 1 x 1 x 2.5 metres

ULD (Unit Load Devices): 5 - 14 cubic metres in volume

ISO Containers: Various sizes, up to 75 cubic metres in volume

Trailers: Various sizes, up to 75 cubic metres in volume

As the term “goods” can encompass sizes from letters to ISO shipping containers, the suggested screening size can be up to and including a loaded pallet. Proposals should demonstrate any ability to scale solutions up to this size.

Proposals should consider the operational environment in which their solutions might be deployed. Given the variety of items that can form goods and that these can be combined into diverse consignments, solutions may have to screen both high-density and low-density items individually or combined into consignments. In addition, particular goods types may pose additional complications or handling considerations, such as multiple different organic materials.

Where proposals are considering solutions for automated environments, they should consider if they can operate at “flow of commerce” speeds. Proposals being considered for insertion into the postal or courier “flow of commerce” should be aware that conveyer belts can operate at speeds around 30 metres per minute. In addition, some postal or parcel operators may include some level of pre-processing of items before screening takes place – for example, in the UK, postal items above 2.25 kg are processed in a different distribution centre.

For this particular challenge, in addition to the benefits outlined in the Scope section, projects should address one or more of the following:

• screening individual letters, packets and parcels without the need for further opening;
• screening a whole consignment without removing it from the delivery vehicle;
• screening densely loaded vehicles or pallets without breaking the contents down into smaller parts.

6. Challenge 3 - People and/or their Possessions

(see Presentation) This challenge refers to screening people and / or their possessions to detect explosives, improvised explosive devices, and weapons.

This challenge area consists of three strands:

• screening people – to find threats concealed on a person who could be standing, sitting or moving;
• screening peoples’ possessions – to find threats concealed in peoples’ carried possessions (e.g. carried bags, rucksacks, pulled luggage) which are likely to be in motion;
• screening people with their possessions – the ‘ideal’ capability.

Screening people and their possessions is typically undertaken at entry points to buildings and areas, and can help reduce the likelihood of threats being brought into the location. Operational screening of people and their possessions generally takes place in one of three scenarios:

• Free flowing where there is no interference with the crowd flow and not everyone is screened, for example on the concourse of a train station;
• Constrained where there is exploitation of existing pinch points and a greater proportion of people are screened, for example visitors directed through a temporary corridor at an entertainment venue or spectators going through turnstiles at a stadium;
• Controlled where there is control over the throughput and everyone is screened, for example a fast lane screening process at the entrance to an exhibition hall, or airport central search locations.

Current practices generally focus on screening people and their possessions (coats, pocket contents, bags) separately rather than screening both together. This is not ideal as it can be impractical (often requires more space), inefficient and time-consuming. This challenge requires solutions for high footfall situations, in which everybody is screened for the things that matter most and the impact and frequency of false and nuisance alarms is minimised. Solutions could be permanent or temporary but must consider wider operational constraints.

Screening people and/or their possessions is often challenging as part-time or casual workforces with minimal training often operate the screening equipment, so ease of use is important. Site operators are expected to deliver cost-effective, proportionate screening operations, sometimes with high throughputs, whilst maintaining positive visitor experience. It is important to consider that space may be limited in some settings, such as private venues. People often arrive ‘just in time’ for an event which adds pressure to the security operation to screen everyone effectively and efficiently. Other venues have a steady flow of visitors throughout the day.

For this particular challenge, in addition to the benefits outlined in the Scope section, projects should address one or more of the following:

• Screening individuals without the need for removal of outer clothing or personal items (for example, watches, jewellery, wallets and mobile phones);
• Minimising the time possessions are separated from their owners;
• Screening individuals with their possessions without impeding their flow (for example, screening which does not require individuals to slow down below walking speed).

Proposals addressing the screening of people or people with their possessions challenge should not incorporate any ionising radiation techniques or other hazardous sources such as non-eye safe laser illumination. Additionally, it is necessary to consider privacy, cultural sensitivities, disabilities, protected characteristics and data protection issues that may arise with use of your innovation/solution.

7. Challenge 4 - Vehicles

(see Presentation)

This challenge refers to operational security scenarios in which vehicles require screening for threat materials, such as explosives, improvised explosive devices and weapons. Such scenarios include searches of suspect vehicles, at either fixed or mobile locations, or at checkpoints for vehicles entering protected spaces. The ability to clearly and quickly determine whether a threat item is concealed inside the vehicle (whether inside a storage compartment such as the boot of a car, or concealed inside the panels of the vehicle or a manufactured hide) is critical in all scenarios.

Current practices for screening vehicles for the threats listed above generally require the vehicle to be stationary, with no occupants. For many of the scenarios in which vehicles are screened this is impractical, inefficient and time-consuming. Vehicles should initially be considered to be cars, or vans with a view to scaling up to full-size HGV cabs in the longer term.

Solutions could be temporary, portable or fixed installations. In the event that fixed installations are proposed, consideration should be made to how the solution could be integrated with existing urban infrastructure or checkpoints, for example using existing traffic control or calming features to slow vehicles to enable screening. For all proposals, the impact of the proposed solution on the flow of traffic should be considered (and minimised). The impact of environmental conditions on the proposed solution should be considered, such as temperature, rain and visibility.

For this particular challenge, in addition to the benefits outlined in the Scope section, projects could address one or more of the following:

• screening vehicles for large explosive threats or large / multiple weapons without stopping for long periods of time;
• increasing the overall volume of screened vehicles;
• screening while occupants remain inside the vehicle;
• rapid screening of stationary vehicles, with the long-term aspiration of screening moving vehicles.

Proposals designed to detect vehicles used as a weapon are not in the scope of this call. However, the market growth in electric, hybrid and hydrogen vehicles should be considered when submitting for this challenge area.

8. We are interested in…

We want novel ideas to benefit end-users working in UK Defence and Security. Your proposal should include evidence of:

• an improvement in current capability;
• theoretical development, methodological advancement or proof of concept research which can demonstrate potential for transition to practical demonstration in a later phase;
• an innovative or creative approach;
• anticipated end user operation, including interfaces, GUI and how the technology would sit within existing processes;
• an estimation of cost, size, through-life support;
• demonstration of exploitation potential;
• the potential for an end user to work with the developments.

9. We are not interested in…

For this competition, we are not interested in proposals that:

• are identical resubmissions of a previous bid into IRC or relevant DASA calls without significant modification and have satisfactorily addressed any feedback given for that previous project submission;
• constitute consultancy or literature reviews which summarise the existing literature or state of the art without any development;
• offer no, or only minor incremental improvements to existing technological solutions (in terms of effectiveness and/or efficiency);
• are primarily focused on scanning or detecting items outside the scope of these challenges;
• technologies focused on detection of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials (please note that ‘chemical’ does not include explosives);
• offer extremely niche or unsustainable solutions with no real or long-term application of integration ability to security capabilities.

10. Accelerating and exploiting your innovation

It is important that over the lifetime of DASA competitions, ideas are matured and accelerated towards appropriate end-users to enhance capability. How long this takes will depend on the nature and starting point of the innovation.

10.1 A clear route for exploitation

For DASA to consider routes for exploitation, ensure your deliverables are designed with the aim of making it as easy as possible for collaborators/stakeholders to identify the innovative elements of your proposal.

Whilst DASA recognises that early identification and engagement with potential end users during the competition and subsequent phases are essential to implementing an exploitation plan, during the competition phase there should be no correspondence between suppliers and DASA other than via the DASA helpdesk email at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, or their local Innovation Partner.

All proposals to DASA should articulate the expected development in technology maturity of the potential solution over the lifetime of the contract and how this relates to improved capability against the current known (or presumed) baseline.

10.2 How to outline your exploitation plan

A higher technology maturity is expected in subsequent phases. Include the following information to help the assessors understand your exploitation plans to date:

• the intended defence or security users of your final product and whether you have previously engaged with them, their procurement arm or their research and development arm
• awareness of, and alignment to, any existing end user procurement programmes
• the anticipated benefits (for example, in cost, time, improved capability) that your solution will provide to the user
• whether it is likely to be a standalone product or integrated with other technologies or platforms
• 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

10.3 Is your exploitation plan long term?

Long term projects may not be able to articulate exploitation in great detail, but it should be clear that there is credible advantage to be gained from the technology development should it succeed.

Include project specific information which will help exploitation. This competition is being carried out as part of a wider cross-Government initiatives. We may collaborate with organisations outside of the UK Government and this may provide the opportunity to carry out international trials and demonstrations in the future.

11. How to apply

11.1 Submission deadline

Full proposals must be submitted by 12:00 midday (BST) on 30 August 2023.

Potential bidders are able to submit clarification questions until 4 August 2023. These questions should seek to clarify elements of this competition document and not be about potential proposals. Responses to these questions will be published on the Defence and Security Accelerator website on 16 August 2023. Questions should be submitted to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk with the title ‘IRC2023 Clarification Question’.

The estimated funding pot of £3.06 million is expected to fund a number of proposals. Initial tasking under Phase 1 will be awarded for a maximum duration of 6 months initially via an individual Work Package/Task (as described in the Framework Terms and Conditions ). In accordance with DEFCON 630 the Authority shall not be bound to place any follow-on Tasks thereafter.

When submitting a proposal, you must complete all sections of the online form, including an appropriate level of technical information to allow assessment of the bid and a completed finances section. If you do not wish to bid for any follow on work beyond the initial Phase 1 period please add ‘N/A’ to the ‘Potential future tasking’ section.

For the first period of 6 months (or less) of funding, your proposal must be fully costed and a project plan with clear milestones and deliverables provided. These deliverables must be well defined and designed to provide evidence of progress against the project plan; they must include a final report. It is essential that the total value of all work proposed for the initial period of up to 6 months is included in the ‘Finance and delivery’ section of your bid; the maximum limit of liability for the contract will be based on this value.

If you plan to propose additional work beyond the initial 6 month period, please include the following elements in your full proposal under the ‘Innovation details’ section, specifically in the ‘Potential future tasking’ subsection:

• technical overview of the work required
• key deliverables
• expected output
• duration
• TRL
• cost and any potential partners
• details of potential exploitation routes

Please also attach a copy of your Firm Rates for Phase 2, as specified in Schedule 8 of the Framework Agreement Terms and Conditions, under the ‘Potential future tasking’ section of your proposal.

Note, costings for additional work should not be inserted into the ‘Finance and delivery’ section but must be covered within the ‘Innovation detail’s section under ‘Potential future tasking’.

All Phase 2 deliverables must complete by 31 May 2026.

A resourcing plan must also be provided that identifies the nationalities of those proposed research workers that you intend to work on this project. In the event of proposals being recommended for funding, DASA reserves the right to undertake due diligence checks including the clearance of proposed research workers. Please note that this process will take as long as necessary and could take up to 6 weeks in some cases for non-UK nationals.

You must identify any ethical/ legal/regulatory factors within your proposal and how the associated risks will be managed, including break points in the project if approvals are not received. Ministry of Defence Research and Ethics Committee MODREC approvals can take around 5 months therefore you should plan your work programme accordingly. Further details are available in the DASA guidance. If you are unsure if your proposal will need to apply for MODREC approval, then please contact DASA for further guidance.

In addition, requirements for access to Government Furnished Assets (GFA) should be included in your proposal. It should not be assumed that test data sets from government will be provided as part of this competition so proposals must be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology through your own resources or costed as part of the proposal.

Your proposal must complete all activities and deliverables within the timescales set. Proposals with any deliverables (including final report) outside the agreed timeline will be rejected as non-compliant.

On completion of the initial tasking, consideration will be given to the following to decide whether a further package of work will be requested to develop your solution further:

• Successful completion of the initial stage of the work including completion of all deliverables
• Provision of a detailed project plan, deliverables and financial breakdown to support the next stage of the work
• A case for why the project should continue to be funded, including, but not limited to evidence of the following:
  • where the project has reached against the original milestones
  • next steps
  • risks and issues
  • end user benefits
  • advancement in security capability
  • exploitation route and plans

A project stage review meeting between the supplier, the technical partner, IRC Programme Office and DASA will be used to review this evidence. The IRC team in conjunction with the technical partner and DASA will base the decision on this meeting and other relevant information.

Additional work packages will be funded under individual framework agreement, allowing further tasking requests to be made which will continue development from your initial contracted work.

Full proposals must include costed participation at the following IRC events:

• a Phase 1 kick-off / initiation meeting
• a Phase 1 project stage review meeting
• a Phase 2 kick off / initiation meeting
• a Phase 2 project stage review meetings (minimum 2)
• any Phase 2 demos
• a Phase 2 close down meeting

Interim meetings may be virtual to reduce time/costs. End of Phase 2 demonstration should be physical but should circumstances, such as pandemic, arise, some of these events may take place online. Any physical events that take place will be held in the UK.

Failure to cost any of the above will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

You may wish to submit an innovation outline in advance of a full proposal. Innovation outlines will be sent to the competition team and DASA Innovation Partners for review. You regional Innovation partner can support you through the competition process. Innovation outlines should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk quoting IRC2023 - Innovation Outline in the subject.

Innovation outlines are not mandatory.

Full proposals must be submitted via the DASA submission service, for which you will be required to register.

11.2 Where do I submit my proposal?

Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will be required to register.
Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

11.3 Total funding available

The total funding available across both phases of this competition £3.06 million (excluding VAT).

11.4 Further Phases

Additional funding for further phases to increase TRL may be available. Any further phases will be open to just those that submitted successful Phase 1 bids with Phase 2 costings.

11.5 For further guidance

Click here for more information on our competition process and how your proposal is assessed.
Queries should be sent to the DASA Help Centre – accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

12. What your proposal must include

• the proposal should focus on the Phase 1 requirements but must also include a brief outline of the next stages of work required for commercial exploitation
• when submitting a proposal, you must complete all sections of the online form, including an appropriate level of technical information to allow assessment of the bid and a completed finances section
• completed proposals must comply with the financial rules set for this competition. The upper-limit for Phase 1 of this competition is £70,000 (excluding VAT). Proposals will be rejected if the financial cost exceeds this capped level
• you must include a list of other current or recent government funding you may have received in this area if appropriate, making it clear how this proposal differs from other funded work
• a project plan with clear milestones and deliverables must be provided. Deliverables must be well defined and designed to provide evidence of progress against the project plan and the end-point for this phase; they must include a final report
• you should also plan for attendance at a kick-off meeting at the start of Phase 1, a mid-project event and an end of project review at the end of Phase 1, as well as regular reviews with the appointed Technical Partner and Project Manager; all meetings will be in the UK.

• your proposal must demonstrate how you will complete all activities/services and provide all deliverables within the competition timescales (6 months). Proposals with any deliverables (including final report) outside the competition timeline will be rejected as non-compliant

• You must identify any ethical / legal / regulatory factors within your proposal and how the associated risks will be managed, including break points in the project if approvals are not received.

• MODREC approvals can take up to 5 months therefore you should plan your work programme accordingly. If you are unsure if your proposal will need to apply for MODREC approval, then please refer to the MODREC Guidance for Suppliers or contact your Innovation Partner for further guidance.

• Requirements for access to Government Furnished Assets (GFA), for example, information, equipment, materials and facilities, may be included in your proposal. DASA cannot guarantee that GFA will be available. If you apply for GFA, you should include an alternative plan in case it is not available.

13. What your resourcing plan should include

• Your resourcing plan must identify the nationalities of proposed employees that you intend to work on this phase.
• In the event of a proposal being recommended for funding, the DASA reserves the right to undertake due diligence checks including the clearance of proposed employees. Please note that this process will take as long as necessary and could take up to 6 weeks in some cases for non-UK nationals.
• All proposals submitted that contain animal work will be reviewed by a Dstl veterinary surgeon and will be considered non-compliant without inclusion of appropriate information. For UK locations that are proposing use of animals under ASPA (Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986) as part of work under DASA, the location must demonstrate that they hold a Project Licence that covers the work proposed, and Establishment Licence for the location and Personal Licences for anyone carrying out the regulated procedures. International innovators proposing animal work under AAALAC should provide the equivalent documentation. For locations outside of the UK that do not have AAALAC, proposal assessment will need to include a Dstl veterinary surgeon making custom assessment of the location’s applicable national regulations, any other accreditations held by the location and the local governance systems for the location.

Failure to provide any of the above listed will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

14. Export control for overseas partners

Contracts awarded as a result of this competition may fall under an extant memorandum of understanding between the UK MOD and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate.
This will facilitate the unimpeded exchange of proposals, prototypes and associated information between the UK and US governments. However, this effective exemption from export controls only applies to the UK and US, not to third countries, and all innovators must therefore abide by the export control requirements of their originator country.
All relevant export control regulations will apply if a company ultimately wants to sell a developed solution to a foreign entity. All innovators must ensure that they can obtain, if required, the necessary export licences for their proposals and developments, such that they can be supplied to the UK and other countries. If you cannot confirm that you can gain the requisite licences, your proposal will be sifted out of the competition.
Additionally, if we believe that you will not be able to obtain export clearance, additional checks may be conducted, which may also result in your proposal being sifted out of the competition.

15. Cyber risk assessment

Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ)
On receipt of a ‘Fund’ decision, successful suppliers must prove cyber resilience data before the contract is awarded. The start of this process is the submission of a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire SAQ). The SAQ allows suppliers 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.

To expedite the contracting time of successful suppliers we ask all suppliers to complete the SAQ before they submit their proposal. The SAQ can be completed here using the DASA Risk Assessment RAR 641229908 and answer questions for risk level “Very Low”. In the form, for the contract name please use the competition title and for the contract description please use the title of your proposal.

Defence Cyber Protection Partnership

The Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) will review your SAQ submission and respond with a reference number within 2 working days. The resulting email response from DCPP should be attached (JPG or PNG format) and included within the DASA submission service portal when the proposal is submitted. You will also be asked to enter your SAQ reference number. Please allow enough time to receive the SAQ reference number prior to competition close at 12:00 midday (BST) on 30 August 2023.

If the proposal is being funded, the SAQ will be evaluated against the CRA for the competition, and it will be put it into one of the following categories:

1. compliant – no further action
2. not compliant – if successful in competition and being funded, the innovator 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
   Innovators can enter a proposal without all controls in place, but are expected to have all the cyber protection measures necessary to fulfil the requirements of the contract in place at the time of contract award, or have an agreed Cyber Implementation Plan (CIP).
   The CIP provides evidence as to how and when potential innovators will achieve compliance. Provided the measures proposed in the Cyber Implementation Plan do not pose an unacceptable risk to the MOD, a submission with a Cyber Implementation Plan will be considered alongside those who can achieve the controls.A final check will be made to ensure cyber resilience before the contract is placed. Commercial staff cannot progress without it. This process does not replace any contract specific security requirements.

Further guidance for completing this process can be requested by emailing the DASA Help Centre: accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.
Additional information about cyber security can be found at: DCPP: Cyber Security Model industry buyer and supplier guide.

15.1 Public facing information

When submitting your proposal, you will be required to include a title and a short abstract. The title and abstract you provide will be used by DASA, and other government departments, to describe your project and its intended outcomes and benefits. They may be included at DASA or IRC events in relation to this competition and in documentation such as brochures. The proposal title may be published in the DASA transparency data on GOV.UK, along with your company name, the amount of funding, and the start and end dates of your contract. As this information can be shared, it should not contain information that may compromise intellectual property.

15.2 How your proposal will be assessed

At Stage 1, all proposals will be checked for compliance with the competition document and may be rejected before full assessment if they do not comply. Only those proposals that demonstrate compliance against the competition scope and DASA mandatory criteria will be taken forward to full assessment.

15.3 Mandatory Criteria

The proposal outlines how it meets the scope of the competition

Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)

The proposal fully explains in all three sections of the DASA submission service how it meets the DASA criteria

Pass / Fail

The proposal clearly details a financial plan, a project plan and a resourcing plan to complete the work proposed in Phase 1 (6months)

Pass / Fail

The proposal identifies the need (or not) for MODREC approval in Phase 1 and/or Phase 2

Pass / Fail

The proposal identifies any GFA required for Phase 1 and/or Phase 2

Pass / Fail

Maximum value of proposal is £70,000 for Phase 1

Pass / Fail

The proposal demonstrates how all research and development activities / services (including delivery of the final report) will be completed within 6 months (or less)

Pass / Fail

The bidder has obtained the authority to provide unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Framework.

Pass / Fail

The proposal details Firm Rates for Phase 2 as specified in the Framework Agreement Terms and Conditions

Pass / Fail

Proposals that pass Stage 1 will then be assessed against the standard DASA assessment criteria (Desirability, Feasibility and Viability) by subject matter experts from Dstl, DfT, HO, DHS, Metropolitan Police, NPSA, MoJ and other government departments both within the UK and USA. Details are shared under appropriate confidentiality agreements. You will not have the opportunity to remark on assessors’ comments.

DASA reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from you during the procurement process to any third party engaged by DASA for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting DASA in the evaluation of your proposal. For the specific purposes of considering additional funding for a competition and onward exploitation opportunities, DASA also reserves the right to share information in your proposal in-confidence with any UK Government Department. In providing such information you consent to such disclosure. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place.

Further guidance on how your proposal is assessed is available on the DASA website.
After assessment, proposals will be discussed internally at a Decision Conference where, based on the assessments, budget and wider strategic considerations, a decision will be made on the proposals that are recommended for funding.

Innovators are not permitted to attend the Decision Conference.

Proposals that are unsuccessful will receive brief feedback after the Decision Conference.

16. Things you should know about DASA contracts: DASA terms and conditions

Please read the DASA terms and conditions which contain important information for suppliers. For this competition we will be using a bespoke contract based upon the Innovation Standard Contract (ISC), links to the contract: TERMS. We will require unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions; if applicable, please ensure your commercial department has provided their acceptance.

We will use deliverables from DASA contracts in accordance with our rights detailed in the contract terms and conditions. Deliverables from DASA contracts may be made available to UK MOD, US DHS, and may be subject to review by relevant government departments.

This competition is jointly funded by National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), Department for Transport (DfT), Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Home Office, Homeland Security Group (HSG), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate (DHS), Home Office, Border Force (BF), and will operate under an extant memorandum of understanding between both the UK and the USA. On this basis, under DEFCON 705, Full Rights Versions of Deliverables delivered under any resultant Contract may be shared with the funding organisations.

More information on DEFCON 705 can be found by registering on the Knowledge in Defence site.

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

For Phase 1, £1million is currently available to fund proposals. There may be occasions when additional funding may become available which allows us to revisit proposals deemed suitable for funding. Therefore, DASA reserves the right to keep such proposals in reserve. In the event that additional funding becomes available, DASA may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms.

17. Phase 1 key dates

Deadline for bidders to submit clarification questions:

4 August 2023

Publication of responses to clarification questions:

16 August 2023

Competition closes:

30 August 2023 at 12:00 midday (BST)

Feedback release by:

27 October 2023

Contracting:

1 December 2023 and end 6 months later in 2024

18. Help: Contact the DASA Help Centre

Competition queries including on process, application, commercial, technical and intellectual property aspects should be sent to the DASA Help Centre at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, quoting the competition title. If you wish to receive future updates on this competition, please email the DASA Help Centre.
While all reasonable efforts will be made to answer queries, DASA reserves the right to impose management controls if volumes of queries restrict fair access of information to all potential innovators.

Glossary

The definitions given below are for the purposes of the Innovative Research Call 2023 for Explosives and Weapons Detection.

Checkpoint – A defined physical barrier where screening takes place, usually at the entrance to a protected building or area (e.g. event, airport security zone).  Any person or vehicle who approaches the checkpoint is required to comply with the screening process before they are allowed to proceed to enter.

Component Parts – In the case of firearms this could mean disassembled parts of a weapon which could be reassembled at a later date. This includes ammunition of any calibre suitable for use with a firearm. In the case of an IED, these could include the main charge (explosive), means of initiation, switch or a power source.

Defensive Search – A search where there is no direct intelligence to suggest a threat is present, meaning the likelihood of a find is low. However, due to the high impact if a threat was found, the risk is deemed high and a search is conducted. Examples of this could be a venue search prior to a VIP visit or searching freight before being loaded onto a ferry.

Detection – An indication that a threat is present as part of a defined search.  The ‘detector’ does not necessarily provide any further information regarding the nature of the threat (for example, an explosives search dog will indicate the presence of an explosive, but will not further identify it).

Explosive – An energetic material which could be used as a component in an Improvised Explosive Device.

Explosives precursor – A chemical that can be combined with other chemicals in the illicit manufacture of explosives.

False Alarm/Indication – The inaccurate but positive alarm response from a detector or identification device following a test or sample from a non-threat or benign material.

Flow of commerce – the natural transit speed for cargo or goods in a process which screening should not impede.

Goods – Any items or materials being transported between locations, not including the vehicle. This does not include people and their associated baggage / personal items.

Government Furnished Assets (GFA) - A generic term for any Government or MOD asset such as equipment, information or resources loaned to a Contractor to assist them in completion of a contract.

High Footfall - High Footfall Screening is the innovative use of established or new technologies in ways that allow large numbers of people and their possessions to be screened for threats quickly, affordably and without inconvenience.

High Throughput –with regards to the ‘Goods’ challenge area, screening scenarios where a high volume of items need to be screened at commercial levels within a short period of time (e.g. mail or palletised cargo).

Identification – The process of positively confirming a specific threat.  This could be carried out simultaneously to detection (for example, an explosives trace detector may also provide information on which target analyte has been detected), or as a secondary process that is carried out after a detection has been made (for example, a detailed physical search that identifies the presence of a knife following a detection from a walk-through metal detector).

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) – A viable explosive device where all of the required components have been put together to allow it to function.

Island Site – A building or area where the boundary has been secured and entrance/exit of people, vehicles and items is now only possible through a defined checkpoint.  Adopting this process gives confidence that a building or area remains free from threats after a full search has been completed.

Manual Search – ‘Hands-on’ search techniques which require a search officer to carry out a detailed and methodical physical search of a person, item or area.  This process is usually the ultimate resolution step for any technology-based search technique and confirms the presence of a credible threat.

Nuisance Alarm/Indication – The positive alarm response from a detector or identification device following a test or sample that it is programmed to find but is not an actual threat. An example is a walk-through metal detector giving a positive response or indication on a large bunch of keys.

Process – A defined methodology that describes in detail how a search will be carried out and how any finds will be dealt with.  This is necessary to ensure both training and operation are consistent and delivered to an appropriate standard.

Offensive Search – A search where there is direct intelligence to suggest a threat is present, meaning that the likelihood of a find is high. An example could be the search of a vehicle for a firearm following a shooting.

Route search – A search where the intention is to ensure that the intended route between locations is clear of emplaced threats, usually explosives or IED.

Screening – The action of carrying out a search process on an item or individual with the objective of finding a threat.

Search Scenario – The defined concept of operations where equipment and methodology are used to search objects and/or individuals.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) A widely-used description of the development and maturity level of technologies. See DASA’s TRL scale.

Weapon – A ‘weapon’ is defined as a) a ‘live-firing’ firearm of any size (long and short barrel) which is capable of firing a bullet, b) deactivated firearms, c) ‘blank-firing’ or replica firearms, d) improvised firearms, e) a bladed item of any size which could be used to stab or slash, and f) a spiked item which could be used to stab.