DASA Themed Competitions

DASA Themed Competition — UK Defence Innovation: Conflict Wounds

Funds biological models and portable first-aid treatments for battlefield casualty care innovation.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), operating on behalf of Dstl and the MOD's Defence Medical Services, ran a themed competition titled "UK Defence Innovation: Conflict Wounds — From Biology to Battlefield Solutions" as part of the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) programme. The competition allocated up to £1.5 million (excluding VAT) to address the enduring challenge of treating battlefield casualties, a need that remains central to UK defence medical strategy.

Five to seven proposals were expected to receive awards ranging from £200,000 to £300,000 each. The competition focused on two distinct challenge areas: first, developing biological models that accurately replicate the mechanisms of conflict wounding for research purposes; and second, devising light, portable first-aid treatments that non-specialist medics can administer in austere, forward-deployed conditions. Eligible applicants included for-profit companies, non-profits, universities, and research organisations, but not individuals. Submissions were made via the DASA Online Submission Service under the standard Innovation Standard Contract vehicle — a procurement contract, not a conventional grant. A launch webinar ran on 10 February 2026, with one-to-one sessions on 18 and 24 February.

The submission deadline was midday GMT on 24 March 2026, and this round is now closed. Organisations seeking similar funding should monitor DASA's themed competition announcements on GOV.UK, as DASA typically launches several themed competitions per year under UKDI, with pools typically ranging from £1 million to £1.5 million and per-award values of £100,000 to £300,000. IP terms and payment schedules follow the Innovation Standard Contract framework.