DASA Open Call for Innovation

The DASA Open Call for Innovation sits under the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and is delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator for defence and security problems. It is a continuous route for unsolicited ideas, with the current cycle structure running through several rounds a year rather than a single annual competition. The open call is part of the UK’s procurement-side innovation system, not a grant fund. Two funding bands are used. Emerging Innovations covers less mature ideas at about £50,000 to £100,000 over three to ten months, while Defence Rapid Impact supports more developed projects at about £100,000 to £350,000 for work that can run up to 24 months. Projects sit under the Innovation Standard Contract, foreign nationals can participate subject to clearance checks, and SMEs, academics, and industry are all eligible. Applicants succeed when they bring a defence or security problem that can be framed as a focused prototype or research task and move quickly through DASA’s screening and due-diligence process. The best fit is a team that can answer a named need and work within the contract terms, including the relevant security checks and delivery timetable. The submission route is built for quick procurement decisions rather than slow grant administration.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.