United Kingdom Defense Seeks Innovation in Support of Operations

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) are seeking proposals to identify and accelerate innovative solutions and techniques, ensuring they can be scaled and deployed faster than adversaries.  

The MOD’s areas of interest are: UAS Propulsion, Repair/Recondition of 155mm Artillery barrels, Autonomous navigation systems for UAS and USVs, Seekers, and UAS detect and destroy.

Proposals should cost no more than £350,000 with project durations lasting equal to or less than four months from the project start date. The proposal output should reach a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 with a Cyber Risk Assessment (CRA) of Very Low Risk by the end of the project. You will be required to conduct demonstrations in the UK for the MOD customer. All proposals will be checked for compliance with the DASA pre-sift criteria.

The MOD does not want proposals that have already been sold into the UK Defense Marketplace, rely on rare or exclusive means of manufacture that would preclude deployment within 12 months, are an unsolicited resubmission, or constitute paper-based studies or literature reviews which just summarize existing literature without views of future innovation. Proposals that offer demonstrations of off-the-shelf products requiring no experimental development, offer no long-term prospect of integration into defense and security capabilities, or offer no real prospect of out-competing existing technological solutions in price, while maintaining enough performance to be relevant are also not desirable.

U.S. companies have a worldwide reputation for innovative products, after sales service, and training which makes them competitive in the UK market and with the MOD. The U.S. and UK also share similar business cultures and business practices, which makes the UK an attractive market for U.S. suppliers.

If you have a proposal which provides innovative in support of operations, or if you would like to learn more about security and defense opportunities in the UK, please contact PJ Menner at the U.S. Embassy London via PJ.Menner@trade.gov.