DASA Open Call for Innovation

DASA Open Call — Emerging Innovations (Phase 1)

Offers research teams and institutions for DASA Emerging Innovations in defense innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Open Call for Innovation — Emerging Innovations (Phase 1) is a continuously open competition that funds early-stage, less mature innovations relevant to UK defence and security. DASA is a unit of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), which sits within the UK Ministry of Defence. Unlike traditional grants, funding is delivered via the Innovation Standard Contract, a procurement vehicle under which DASA commissions research and retains specific IP rights distinct from Innovate UK-style grant agreements. Projects in the Emerging Innovations category receive £50,000 to £100,000 and run for three to ten months. The call accepts proposals across any defence or security technology area with no thematic restriction — submissions are assessed on relevance to defence or security challenges and technical merit.

Eligible applicants include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), academics, and large industry organisations. No UK incorporation requirement is explicitly stated in the competition document; foreign nationals may participate subject to research worker clearance checks, which can take up to six weeks for non-UK nationals and should be factored into project planning. The programme runs in multiple cycles per year — approximately four per year — with Cycle 1 of 2025 opening in February 2025 and closing in April 2025, and Cycle 2 running April to July 2025. New cycle dates are published on gov.uk in advance.

Applications are submitted via DASA's online portal using the Salesforce-based Enterprise Collaboration Service. DASA employs Innovation Partners who provide pre-application guidance and can advise on whether a proposal is likely to be competitive. Phase 1 (Emerging Innovations) is the entry point for technologies at lower maturity; successful innovations may subsequently apply to Phase 2 (Defence Rapid Impact) for larger follow-on funding. Phase 1 awards are subject to due diligence checks and security assessment as part of the contracting process before funds are released.