Do you have a specific technical challenge with a defence or national security application but not sure of the practical solutions for how to solve it? This could be the right opportunity for you.
To learn more about the opportunity, watch our supporting webinar on Vimeo.
The Innovate UK Defence and National Security Innovation Exchange (iX) provides grant funding to help solve challenges for businesses operating within the defence and/or national security supply chain. Awards will be up to £60,000 per challenge partnership (terms and conditions apply).
Please note that, in accordance with the iX process, all funding will be directed to the solution providers. Innovate UK Business Connect will help identify and select potential solution providers; the chosen solution provider will then be eligible to apply for up to £60,000 grant funding to kick start the development of the solution. The businesses who submit challenges will benefit from the solutions to the problems but not receive direct financial support.
Our aim is to create collaborative partnerships, developing and adopting new technologies that can positively impact on the UK defence and national security sectors and unlock economic opportunity for the UK.
Eligibility and technology areas for Challenge Holders
We are looking for Challenge Holders that are seeking new technologies and solution providers to help overcome a technical challenge. The technical challenges should lead to development and adoption into the defence or national security supply chain. We are open to any defence or national security challenge including challenges aligned to the following areas.
- Advanced Computing
- Power and Energy
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems
- AI, Machine Learning and Data Science
- Sensing and PNT
- Human Systems Capability
- Advanced Materials
We are looking for specific challenges that will have the greatest potential impact within the defence and national security sector realising economic opportunity for the UK. The challenge should be related to your business needs but ideally will have benefit to wider society.
Challenge Holders should be willing to work with new technologies and solution providers from other sectors to solve their challenge.
As this is a pilot programme, we are initially limiting Challenge Holders to 3 place based Regional Defence and Security Clusters. These are:
- North West Regional Defence and Security Cluster
- South Central Regional Defence and Security Cluster
- Eastern Regional Defence and Security Cluster
If these pilots are successful, we hope to extend this offer to regions covered by other Regional Defence and Security Clusters.
This scheme is being managed by Innovate UK Business Connect. Please complete the application form to submit your challenge application. Submissions will then be assessed, and successful applicants will enter a process to further define their challenge.
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- If selected as a potential Challenge Holder; we will work with you to define and scope the challenge. At this stage, we may conclude that the Innovation Exchange approach is not appropriate for your challenge and provide a different type of support (2 – 3 hours of your time to complete)
- Once the challenge is defined, we will host it on our iX Innovation Exchange Platform and promote it through our relevant networks to invite innovators to submit their potential solutions.
- We will review the solution submissions and rank them.
- We will then provide this information to you as the Challenge Holder, and you will select who will be invited to an online or in-person pitch event (approximately 1 – day of your time).
- Working with us, you will choose from the Solution Providers at the pitch event to continue.
- With the Solution Provider, you would scope s project (maximum 3 months), to develop the concept they submitted (approximately 2 – 3 hours of your time)
- The Solution Provider will submit this project, including a project plan and finances to Innovate UK to receive up to £60,000 grant funding. The funding can cover 100% of eligible project costs.
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For this opportunity, we are looking for challenges from revenue generating businesses already within the defence or national security supply chain. Organisations that are pre-revenue are not eligible.
This is not for organisations that are trying to solve an existing challenge primarily through their own organisation. For example, if you are developing a solution to your proposed challenge internally and looking to commercialise that solution, this is not the right opportunity for you.
If you have a technology that requires an end user to test/trial and aid product development, what you are suggesting is technology push rather than a technology/solution pull by a challenge holder and doesn’t require the solution provider to innovate and provide a solution for the challenge holder – this would not be eligible.
If you already know who you want to work with/or the preferred solution, this would not be eligible, as iX is a cross-sector programme supporting innovation transfer by matching industrial challenges with innovative companies from other sectors with dual-use solutions. Therefore it is not suitable for those who already know their preferred solution provider.
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Could I, as the Challenge Holder, receive up to £60,000 if successful in this opportunity?
No, the award will go to the selected Solution Provider(s) only.
What is a Challenge Holder?
An organisation that has a problem that they need to solve using external expertise and could benefit from a bespoke solution. This could come from within their sector or outside of it. In this programme, Challenge Holders will not receive the funding.
What is a Solution Provider?
An organisation that can meet the requirements of the challenge with a solution that could be applied in a given timeframe. It could be ready to deploy, or it could need some co-development with the Challenge Holder. If selected, the Solution Provider will receive up to £60,000 towards demonstrating the solution with the Challenge Holder.
As a Challenge Holder, what do you need from me if I’m successful in this opportunity?
If you are one of the selected Challenge Holders, we will go through the iX process with you to firstly define the challenge based on the information you provided in the EOI. The full process is outlined in the IX process selection above.
If I have a technology that require an end user to test/trial and aid product development, can I be a Challenge Holder? And can this be an iX challenge?
No – what you are suggesting is technology push rather than a technology/solution pull by a Challenge Holder and doesn’t require the Solution Provider to innovate and provide a solution for the Challenge Holder.
What if I know who I want to work with and/or the preferred solution?
iX is a cross-sector programme supporting innovation transfer by matching industry challenges to innovative companies from other sectors. Therefore it is not suitable for those who already know their preferred solution provider.
How will EOI’s from Challenge Holders be assessed?
EOI’s will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The suitability of the challenge to the Innovation Exchange approach
- The alignment to UK Defence and National Security strategies and these supply chains
- The potential impact of solving the challenge
- The support the Challenge Holders are willing and able to provide to support the development of a solution
A portfolio-based approach will be taken to assess challenge projects across focus areas, technologies, categories of R&D and market sectors.
Applicants will not be permitted to question or appeal decisions made regarding the challenge selection or funding of individual projects and Innovate UK Business Connect will be unable to give feedback on unsuccessful challenge applications.
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To learn more about the opportunity, watch our supporting webinar on Vimeo.
To support the iX process (challenge definition and sign-off, Solution Provider application review, pitch day and Solution Provider selection), applicants need to confirm that they have general availability between September and November 2026, and can meet online for the crucial activities below.
- Expression of Interest deadline: Friday 28 August 17.00hrs
- Notification of successful Challenge application: By Friday 11 September
- Online 2-hour Challenge Definition Workshop: Monday 21 – Friday 25 September
- Challenge review and sign off via email: Wednesday 30 September
- Solution Provider selection by the Challenge Holder: Monday 16 – Friday 20 November
- Pitch day (all day online or in person) Monday 23 – Friday 27 November
- Confirmation of selected Solution Provider: By Friday 4 December
- Project length: maximum of 3 months
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Please complete the Expression of Interest Form to submit a challenge for this opportunity. The deadline to submit your form is Friday 28th August at 17.00hrs.
This form consists of several brief questions for us to understand:
- Your details
- Check your eligibility
- Some details of the challenge
- The potential impact of solving the challenge
All submitted challenges will be reviewed. If you meet key criteria and are a good fit with the programme, we will be in touch to discuss further.