This competition seeks innovations to strengthen the UK's ability
to detect, prevent and respond to biological risks.
- UKDI has launched a new Themed Competition: Biosecurity
Frontiers
- Run on behalf of the Cabinet Office
- Funded by the Integrated Security Fund
- Up to £2 million (excluding VAT) funding available
- Competition closes midday 10 June 2026 (BST)
UK Defence Innovation
(UKDI) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition called
Biosecurity Frontiers. Run on behalf of the Cabinet Office, this
competition seeks innovators to help deliver the ambitions of the
2023 UK
Biological Security Strategy and the 2025
National Security Strategy and strengthen the UK's ability to
understand, prevent, detect and respond to biological risks.
The biological threats facing the UK continue to evolve in
complexity. Rapid advances in AI and engineering biology bring
significant opportunities, but also introduce new risks of
misuse. New methods for biodetection and biosurveillance are
essential to ensure the government can detect emerging threats
quickly and accurately. At the same time, the supply chains for
protective equipment and countermeasures must be strengthened to
ensure that frontline users — including police, military and NHS
personnel — remain protected.
This competition seeks to catalyse innovation between UK
Government departments, agencies, academia and industry across
three challenge areas:
Challenge 1:
Next Generation Biodetection and Biosurveillance — the
government is seeking capabilities to detect and monitor
traditional and novel biological threats, including portable
in-field technologies deployable in harsh environments,
environmental surveillance systems and bioforensics tools.
Challenge 2:
AI and Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Vaccines — proposals
are sought to harness AI in identifying and developing new
diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine candidates, including tools
to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and support accelerated
development timelines.
Challenge 3:
Non-pharmaceutical protective systems — the government is
looking to diversify and strengthen PPE supply chains, including
more efficient manufacturing, universal respiratory protective
equipment and innovative decontamination solutions.
Read the full competition document
and submit your proposalFor all challenges we
are interested in…
We want concepts, products or solutions that benefit end-users
working in UK defence and security. Your proposal should include
evidence of:
- how it addresses a critical capability gap in the UK
Biological Security sector
- how it will support the UK industrial sector and strengthen
domestic supply chains
- the potential for your innovation to be translated into a
practical demonstration
- innovation or a creative approach
- how the proposed work applies in specific One Health, Defence
and/or Security contexts
Learn more in the full competition
documentKey dates and funding
Up to £2 million (excluding VAT) funding is available. We expect
to fund 5 to 7 proposals across the 3 challenges, in the region
of £100,000 to £500,000 each, but we reserve the right to fund
proposals at higher and lower values than these amounts.
1-2-1 teleconference sessions to ask specific technical questions
to the competition team will be available on Wednesday 29 and
Thursday 30 April.
Booking for these will be open from 17 April - please see the
full competition document for links.
The deadline to submit a proposal is midday 10 June 2026 (BST).
Submit a proposal
If you have a solution that could help the UK detect, prevent or
respond to biological threats, we want to hear from you. Read the
full [competition document] to learn more and submit a proposal.
