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UKDI has launched Cycle 8 of Innovation Support to
Operations
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Funded by the Ministry of
Defence
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Cycle 8 closes at 12:00 Midday on 22 September 2026
(BST)
UK Defence Innovation
(UKDI) sits within the National Armaments
Director (NAD) Group, the part of UK defence responsible for
developing, delivering and sustaining the UK's national arsenal,
as well as managing the defence estate, including its housing and
harbour infrastructure.
UKDI is inviting innovators from across UK industry and academia
to submit proposals with a clear route to operational deployment.
Solutions must combine technical excellence with affordability,
manufacturability and the ability to scale quickly to get into
operational use within 12 months of the end of the project.
Our aim is simple: deliver useful technology into service
faster than our adversaries.
Projects are expected to achieve at least Technology Readiness Level
(TRL) 6 within 4 months and demonstrate performance in
representative operational environments. Beyond proving the
technology, innovators will need to show how production could be
rapidly increased to meet deployment demands.
If you have an innovation that could be deployed at an
appropriate scale, in operational areas within 12 months of
contract end, please read the full competition
document and submit a proposal.
The Challenge Areas:
The competition focuses on five challenge areas where novel
technologies could deliver immediate operational impact:
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Counter UAS interceptor sensors
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One-way attack UAS seekers
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Platform survivability
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Telemetry data communications
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Maritime autonomous navigation
Across all challenge areas, UKDI is looking for solutions with a
credible pathway to manufacture and scale, ensuring successful
technologies can move beyond demonstration and into real-world
operational use. These challenges align with UKDI's
new thematic
framework.
For full details of the requirements of each challenge area,
please read the competition document.
Key dates and funding:
Applications must be submitted through the UKDI Online Submission
Service by 12:00 midday (BST) on 22 September
2026.
Funding decisions are expected to be communicated in December
2026, with successful projects aiming to start in January
2027.
Projects are expected to cost no more than £350,000, although
proposals up to £1 million (excluding VAT) will be considered.
Contracts are expected to begin in January 2027 and run for up to
four months.
Encouraging innovation and collaboration
The competition is open to UK-registered businesses, sole traders
and academic institutions undertaking project activity within the
UK.
Innovators are encouraged to engage with their
local UKDI Innovation
Partner to discuss ideas and explore suitability for the
competition. UKDI is also supporting collaboration between
organisations through a dedicated collaboration survey, helping
innovators identify potential partners and complementary
expertise.
Projects selected for funding will receive support from UKDI
project managers, technical partners and military stakeholders
throughout delivery.
How to get involved?
Innovators with solutions that could address these challenge
areas are encouraged to engage early with their
local UKDI Innovation
Partner.
To apply, review the full competition
document and submit your proposal via the UKDI Online Submission
Service by 22 September 2026.
