Innovation Support to Operations — UKDI themed competition (Cycle 8)

What it is

Funded via MOD contract (procurement), not a traditional grant: UKDI's Innovation Support to Operations competition (Cycle 8) funds rapid, deployable defence innovation — proposals expected to cost no more than £350,000 (up to £1,000,000 ex VAT considered), projects of four months or less reaching TRL 6, closing 12:00 midday on 22 September 2026.

Verified 2026-08-21 on gov.uk. DASA is now part of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI); the old DASA Open Call for Innovation closed with no cycles open (gov.uk update 13 Jan 2026) and its successor 'Security Open Call 2026 Cycle 1' closes 27 Aug 2026 — this row tracks the Innovation Support to Operations THEMED competition, whose Cycle 8 is open (closes 12:00 midday BST 22 Sep 2026, decisions expected December, projects targeting January 2027 start). UKDI has not published a total competition budget or funding rate; proposals expected <=£350,000 but may be up to £1,000,000 ex VAT (capture max uses the £350,000 expectation) — the rescue's £100,000 minimum is not on the live page, so no valueMin. Contract-based funding (Innovation Standard Contract), <=4-month duration, at least TRL 6 by project end, credible path to scaled manufacture within ~12 months. Eligible: UK-registered organisations, sole traders and academic institutes with the work done in the UK (the organisation need not be UK-owned). Five challenge areas (counter-UAS interceptor sensors, one-way attack UAS seeker, platform survivability, telemetry data, maritime autonomous navigation) are not expressible in engine fields and gate eligibility in practice.