United Kingdom Defense Seeks Innovations in Supporting Operations

The UK Defense Innovation (UKDI) is seeking innovative support to operations that are cost competitive, designed for manufacture, and can be scaled in a twelve-month timeframe. Areas of interest include Counter‑UAS Interceptor Sensors, UAS Survivability and Navigation technologies, and Maritime Autonomous Navigation and Terminal Guidance technologies.

The UK Government continuously evaluates global events to rapidly identify and implement solutions that will strengthen its military capability to combat its adversaries. This competition aims to identify and accelerate innovative solutions and techniques that can be scaled and deployed faster than its adversaries.

UKDI is seeking proposals that address one of 7 challenges: Counter UAS Interceptor Sensors, One-way Attack UAS Seeker, UAS Survivability, UAS Navigation, Telemetry Data, Maritime Autonomous Navigation, and Maritime Terminal Guidance.

Proposals must demonstrate market-leading unit pricing and be scalable, innovative, and applicable to a defense and security context. The proposals must also demonstrate how the proposed solution can be manufactured at an appropriate scale in an operational theatre within 12 months.

The UKDI does not want proposals that deliver below Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, that have already been sold into the UK defense marketplace, that constitute paper-based studies or literature reviews, or that offer no real long-term prospect of integration into UK defense and security capabilities.

This new announcement presents potential export opportunities for U.S. companies with expertise in defense technology. U.S. companies have a worldwide reputation for innovative products and after-sales service which makes them competitive in the UK market.

If you have a proposal, 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