Guidance

Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Open Call for Innovation

The Open Call is looking for innovative ideas to improve the defence and security of the UK. Your idea could be a concept, product or service, at various levels of maturity.

Documents

Details

The only way to submit a proposal to the Defence and Security Accelerator is online via our submission service. To access DASA’s services and apply for funding, you must have an account. We recommend you use a Google Chrome browser when accessing the Enterprise Collaboration Service.

For more information on the Open Call and how to apply for funding, please read the Competition Document: Open Call for Innovation above.

For more information on the Open Call innovation focus areas, please read the Open Call Innovation Focus Areas document above.

Published 21 May 2018
Last updated 196 MayJune 2022 + show all updates
  1. Double Act: National Security Technologies IFA has been updated to clarify that an innovation outline is required prior to submission of a full proposal.

  2. Updated the decision and feedback release dates for Cycle 5 to 6 and 13 June.

  3. New IFA (IFA034 - Countering IEDs by Novel Technology and Techniques) launched.

  4. New Innovation Focus Area added - Human Augmentation

  5. A new Innovation Focus Area has launched - Double Act: National Security Technologies

  6. Included a closing date for IFA031 Next Generation Wearable Technology

  7. Removed MSIA IFA 030

  8. Removed ARCD from the IFA list as it is now closed. Added the closure date for MSIA. 27 Apr 22.

  9. Open Call cycle dates updated, with a footnote added to 2022/23 Cycle 1

  10. Open Call competition dates added for 2022/ 2023

  11. Changes to the Open Call Innovation Focus Areas document: Removed RCAS. On ARCD added ‘This IFA is open for submissions until 02 March 2022 when it will close.’ Added: Open Call Cycle 5 competition category ‘Emerging Innovations’ is currently not available for submission however we are accepting submissions for Security and Defence Rapid Impact and any Innovation Focus Area.

  12. Added closure date for the RCAS IFA (05 January 2022) to the Open Call Innovation Focus Areas document.

  13. On the Open Call Innovation Focus Areas page, the following updates were made: Added closure date for IFA029 Reducing the Cyber Attack Surface (RCAS): 5 January 2022. Added closure date for IFA028 Autonomous Resilient Cyber Defence (ARCD) - Intelligent Agents: 2 March 2022. For IFA028 Autonomous Resilient Cyber Defence (ARCD) - Intelligent Agents, added information for suppliers to submit a Innovation Outline prior to their full submission.

  14. Added New Attachment - Security Open Call, Rapid Impact: Webinar Q&A

  15. Added Open Call Security Rapid Impact Webinar to Section 5.

  16. IFA031 - Wearable Tech IFA has been added to the Open Call IFA page

  17. Added new IFA030 Military Information Systems Assurance (MISA). Added further direction on what should be included in a IFA proposal.

  18. Addition of 2 new IFAs - Autonomous Resilient Cyber Defence (ARCD) Intelligent Agents - Reducing the Cyber Attack Surface (RCAS)

  19. FY20/21 Cycle 5 and Cycle 6 Decision and Feedback dates have been removed.

  20. Security exploitation section added

  21. Updated the wording to show that Emerging Innovations proposals will be contracted under the Innovation Standard Contract.

  22. New Security Rapid Impact competition open

  23. IFA026 - Armoured Fighting Vehicle Short Gap Crossing Capability has now closed. Have now removed the description of IFA026 from the Innovation Focus Area document.

  24. Details that funded Suppliers must submit a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ)

  25. - IFA025 - Reducing Reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems Quantum Augmented Position, Navigation and Timing Sensing Capability, now closed and specific wording removed. - Emerging Innovations is now open for submissions removed note that stated it was closed.

  26. Closing date for IFA026 - Armoured Fighting Vehicle Short Gap Crossing Capability updated to 2nd June 2021. Link to details of past innovation focus areas included on IFA webpage.

  27. Open Call dates for FY2021/2022 were added to the Open Call for Innovation Competition document.

  28. IFA026 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Short Gap Crossing Capability - new Innovation Focus Area added.

  29. Closing date added to IFA025 description. IFA025 will be closing at the end of cycle 6 - 31st March 2021

  30. Updated the wording for IFA025 to explicitly state that suppliers should use engineering tools provided.

  31. Added details explaining Emerging Innovations is currently not available for submissions, to the Open Call Competition Document and IFA webpage. Removed IFA018 Reduced-Burden Area Biosurveillance wording - IFA now closed.

  32. - Added details of IFA025 - Reducing Reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems Quantum Augmented Position, Navigation and Timing Sensing Capability to IFA webpage - Added The ESL and SWaP Matrix attachment

  33. - Details of IFA025 - Quantum Augmented Position, Navigation and Timing Sensing Capability added to Innovation Focus Area webpage. - ESL and SWaP Matrix tool added

  34. IFA023 wording updated

  35. Closing date for IFA018 added. IFA013 Text removed. FY19/20 Open Call Cycle dates removed.

  36. IFA013 now shows 1st October close date

  37. Five new innovation focus areas added to the Open Call for Innovation

  38. aviation security innovation focus areas closing 28 May

  39. Open Call for Innovation - COVID-19 Fast Track now added

  40. Removal of Regenerative Medicine IFA. Edits to Bank of England IFA wording. Edit to rapid sanitising technology IFA wording

  41. additional links and information added to IFA019 COVID-19: Rapid Sanitising Technology to help prospective bidders including timescales and current decontamination guidance

  42. New Innovation Focus Area: COVID-19: Rapid Sanitising Technology - closing 1st April

  43. Additional Open Call cycle dates added for 2020/2021

  44. regenerative Medicine IFA closing date added.

  45. new innovation focus areas - Reduced-Burden Area Biosurveillance, Detecting firearms and ammunition through scent, Next generation aviation security

  46. Removed IFA001, IFA003, IFA014 and IFA015

  47. Added a close date to IFA014 and IFA015 - midday on 30 January 2020

  48. Removed IFA008 and added close dates to IFA001 and IFA003

  49. Removal of 2018/2019 dates, addition of cycle 6 dates and amendment to feedback release dates. Note added to IFA008 - removal of IFA due on 12 Dec 19

  50. New innovation focus area added - IFA013 Innovative security features for bank notes

  51. IFA data added and TRL altered.

  52. IFA011 - advancing less lethal weapons innovation focus area added

  53. New IFAs published and removal date added (2 October 2019) to IFA002 and IFA009

  54. Due to technical issues the decision and feedback dates have been changed for Cycle 1

  55. Addition of new Innovation Focus Area for regenerative medicine - funding available.

  56. Addition of new Innovation Focus Area - Delivering an open data sharing solution - Funding available

  57. update on Innovation Outline, and removal of Outline Proposals

  58. New IFA - Developing novel radar concepts and technology

  59. Rapid Impact funding limits have been changed. Guidance now reads: No funding limit is specified, however we would typically expect to fund bids between £100K - £350K. Proposals that demonstrate value for money or present a collaborative funding approach will be viewed favourably.

  60. Amalgamation of emerging innovation requirements for security and defence in to 'overall requirement' section.

  61. Removal of the Defence Innovation Focus Areas

  62. Change to cycle 6 closing date.

  63. Open Call dates for year 2019 - 2020 added

  64. Added two new innovation areas for defence.

  65. Open Call Cycle 3 will now close on 4 September 2018.

  66. Please note we have an updated message regarding proposals on our old submissions service, which will closing on the 31 August 2018.

  67. We have added a new document to publicise innovation focus areas of interest to some of our defence and security customers.

  68. We have updated the decision release and feedback release dates for some of our DASA Open Call cycles.

  69. We recommend bidders use a Google Chrome browser for setting up their new submission service accounts and for submitting proposals.

  70. We have redesigned the Open Call pages, to make things clearer. Many thanks The Defence and Security Accelerator Team

  71. Please note we are now aiming for Open Call Cycle 3 to be available from midday on Monday 02 July 2018. Many thanks The DASA team

  72. Please note there is a new notification on the delay to the next Open Call cycle launch, with some recommendations on what to do next.

  73. We are making improvements to the DASA Submission Service, which means we need to delay the launch of Open Call Cycle 3. Open Call Cycle 3 will be available from midday on Monday 11 June 2018. Because we are moving to a new system, we recommend you do not commence drafting proposals in the current Submission Service, but prepare them off line so they can be uploaded when Cycle 3 opens on our new system.

  74. First published.