To be eligible to submit a proposal to this competition, you must be a UK organisation registered with Companies House, a sole trader, or an academic institution based in the UK, and intend to undertake the project work in the UK. Your organisation does not need to be UK-owned. Additional guidance for international innovators can be found here. Please read this guidance before contacting UKDI

In this multi-cycle competition, we will run a 2-stage process within each cycle. This approach helps innovators quickly understand whether their idea is a good fit for the competition, saving time and effort when applying. It also enables a more efficient assessment process.

Stage 1 is an idea overview covering strategic fit, idea compatibility, expected Technology Readiness Level, exploitation potential, project scope and timeline (900 words maximum). All Stage 1 submissions will be carefully reviewed by UKDI and relevant Partners Across Government. They will look for ideas that align well with the Competition Focus Areas, demonstrate a strong chance of successful delivery, and meet the stakeholders’ needs.

Submissions that demonstrate a good fit will be invited to progress to Stage 2 and submit a detailed proposal with full technical description, detailed project plan and finance breakdown (approx. 9000 words).

Funded projects are expected to deliver a technology model or prototype demonstration at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or 7. This demonstration should be at a limited scale and in the context or environment in which it is expected that the solution would be used.

The purpose of Testing and Trialling is to enable innovators to gather evidence from an operational environment, further refine their innovation, and assess its suitability for end-user needs.

If your project does not include a Testing and Trialling phase, it should reach TRL 6 by the end of the project. Maximum cost for this type of project is £350,000 for a project of up to 12 months.

Projects may include an optional, separately priced Testing and Trialling phase to take a project from TRL 6 to 7. If so, the maximum cost is still £350,000 but the project may last up to 18 months.

Alternatively, proposals may consist solely of a Testing and Trialling phase for ideas already at TRL 6. If so, the maximum cost is £150,000 and the maximum duration is 6 months.

If you are including a Testing and Trialling phase as a separate option alongside a wider project, the TRL of the complete project post Testing and Trialling Option, and full duration of both the initial project and the separate Testing and Trialling option should be stated in your Stage 1 proposal. Ensure your Testing and Trialling activity is summarised within the proposal.

Innovators may submit proposals into the Security Open Call which address any of the Competition Focus Areas outlined below, and meet the following overarching requirements:

• Funded projects are expected to deliver a technology model or prototype demonstration at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or 7. This demonstration should be at a limited scale and in the context or environment in which it is expected that the solution would be used. The project should include all of the activities that are required to provide this limited demonstration, including research and development and/or testing and trialling.
• Your project should have a realistic prospect of achieving an impact within a 2-year time frame from the completion of the project. The impact could be realised in a number of ways. For example, this could be through operational deployment of the developed idea, entry of the idea into the security sector supply chain (directly or through partners), the idea informing future procurement, equipment programme options, or by informing policy choices. Ideas that would have little or no impact within 2 years of the contract concluding are unlikely to be funded.

For full details of each area, see the Home Office Challenge Document.

Public Safety

• Digital evidence: capture, triage and insight at scale
• Policing public contact and victim experience: increasing confidence and engagement
• Improved data sharing between policing and partners
• Online harm and exploitation
• Future-facing policing capability

National Security

• Lawful access and investigatory capability in a rapidly evolving tech environment
• Scale and sophistication of cyber and economic threats outpacing response
• Complex and hybrid threats from state actors
• Evolving UK threat landscape
• Emerging threats outpacing legislative and policy frameworks

Borders and Migration

• Adaptability and evolution of organised immigration crime
• Balancing border security, flow efficiency and public confidence
• Integration and long-term outcomes for refugees

For full details of each challenge, see the NPSA Challenge Areas document.

• Vehicle Screening for Explosives, Weapons and Other Threats
• Extended Reality (XR) for Protective Security
• Low-Compliance Crowd Screening for Concealed Threats
• Public Warning of Hostile Vehicle Attacks
• Device-to-Vehicle Data Blocker Assurance
• Secure Device-to-Vehicle Connectivity
• Detection of Camera Use
• AI in Training – Incident Response Simulations
• Baselining and Monitoring AI Capability
• Wide Area Monitoring

For full details of each challenge, see the DfT Challenge Areas document.

• Aviation Hold Baggage Screening
• Detection of explosive threats in Complex Freight and Large Loads
• Low divestment walk-through people and bag screening
• Security situational awareness sensor integration with autonomous and robotic platforms
• Passenger Screening – Alarm Resolution

UKDI has a team of locally based Innovation Partners who provide dedicated guidance to innovators based in the UK to support UK innovation and strengthen the domestic defence and security industrial base. It is strongly recommended that you discuss your idea with a UKDI Innovation Partner before submitting a proposal to this competition.

You can initiate this through the submission of an Innovation Outline through the UKDI Online Submission Service. Select “UKDI Innovation Outline” and then “Innovation Outline: Security Open Call – 2026 – Cycle 2”. Please note this is not your Stage 1 submission – Submitting an Innovation Outline does not constitute an application to this competition.