UK Defence Innovation (formerly DASA)

Runs United Kingdom Defence Innovation, the Ministry of Defence body integrating defence innovation programmes with operational requirements.

UK Defence Innovation is the Ministry of Defence's innovation delivery body, carrying forward the former Defence and Security Accelerator after the February 2026 absorption. The organisation sits under MoD with Dstl running the accelerator function, and its job is to find exploitable innovation that can strengthen defence and security advantage.

Its public routes are themed competitions, an open-call model that is currently paused, and Defence Innovation Loans for scaling SMEs. The competitions are contract-based rather than grant-based, typically use the Innovation Standard Contract, and are aimed at mature ideas that can be delivered into defence settings. Recent cycles have sat in the £100,000 to £3 million pool, with individual awards commonly in the £100,000 to £700,000 range, while the loans route has reached up to £1 million.

UK Defence Innovation is built for applicants that can show technical credibility, a clear route to use, and an operational need on the defence side. The process is structured and evidence-heavy, with themed calls continuing while the open-call and loans services are rebuilt toward full operating capability. For companies that can pass that bar, the body offers a direct path into MoD, Home Office, Cabinet Office, and related customer departments.