DASA Open Call for Innovation

DASA Open Call — Defence Rapid Impact (Phase 2)

Helps research teams and institutions for DASA Defence Rapid Impact in defense innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Open Call for Innovation — Defence Rapid Impact (Phase 2) funds more developed innovations ready for scale-up in the UK defence and security domain. DASA operates under the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) within the UK Ministry of Defence. As with Phase 1, funding is delivered through the Innovation Standard Contract — a procurement vehicle — rather than a conventional grant. Phase 2 projects receive between £100,000 and £350,000; DASA anticipates typical project values of £200,000 to £300,000. Projects can run for up to 24 months, with a typical duration of 12 to 18 months. No fixed funding cap is stated in the competition document.

Phase 2 targets innovations that are more developed than those entering Phase 1 (Emerging Innovations), though no formal Phase 1 completion requirement is stated — applicants can enter the Open Call at Phase 2 directly if their technology is sufficiently mature. The call is thematically open, accepting proposals across any defence or security technology area. Eligible applicants include SMEs, universities, research organisations, and large industry. Foreign nationals may participate subject to research worker clearance checks, which take up to six weeks and should be budgeted into the timeline. The call runs in multiple cycles per year on the same schedule as Phase 1, with application windows published on gov.uk.

Submissions are made through DASA's online portal using the Salesforce-based Enterprise Collaboration Service. DASA Innovation Partners are available to provide pre-submission guidance on proposal relevance and competitiveness. Proposals are assessed on potential to address a defence or security challenge and on the maturity and credibility of the technical approach. Contract terms — including IP arrangements — are governed by the Innovation Standard Contract, which applicants should review prior to submission, as terms differ materially from grant-based funding vehicles used by Innovate UK or the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.