This challenge is open to sole innovators, industry, academic and research organisations of all types and sizes. There is no requirement for security clearances.

Solution providers or direct collaboration from countries listed by the UK government under trade sanctions and/or arms embargoes are not eligible for HMGCC CoCreation challenges.

The UK National Risk Register highlights the importance of maintaining effective capabilities to identify and respond to the release of hazardous chemical and biological materials to protect public safety in the UK and abroad. While large-scale incidents are uncommon in the UK, emergency services regularly respond to smaller hazardous events, for example illicit drug-lab releases and accidental spills. Improving resilience by enabling the earliest and most informative warning possible will ensure the most effective cross-agency response from healthcare, policing and other emergency services.

This challenge, launched by HMGCC Co-Creation, is to develop a novel sensor that can be deployed in any environment, providing rapid and early sensing of any chemical and biological hazard as part of a wider networked sensing capability. This work builds on existing UK sensing capabilities and complements the government’s wider interests in sensing and detection technologies, sitting alongside separate bio-specific innovation delivered through UK Defence Innovation’s (UKDI) funding call on Biosecurity Frontiers and chemical-specific detection delivered through UKDI’s previous Rapid Detection of Toxic Gases competition.

For more information, see the UK National Risk Register (2025).

Current chemical and biological detection technologies can face challenges, such as:

• Too specific – many current technologies are designed to detect specific chemical or biological substances, which can limit flexibility across a broader range of scenarios.
• Time-consuming to upgrade – adapting systems to incorporate improvements or respond to newly identified substances can be time‑consuming, with development and deployment timescales that may not always align with emerging needs.
• Too long to detect – timely detection is important to support an effective and coordinated response to potential hazards.
• Cost, size and power trade-off – as sensors become more advanced the trade-off may reduce the number of locations and users that can use the sensor.

There is a need to enhance current capabilities to extend performance across a wider range of scenarios by developing a cutting-edge, upgradeable sensing system that can rapidly detect a wide variety of chemical and biological agents, with improved sensitivity, low error rate, and requiring limited maintenance.

Mo is a senior security officer responsible for the safety of an installation that supports a range of government, humanitarian and logistical activities. The site is a self-contained complex that houses staff, visitors and critical equipment, and it operates in an environment where the risk of a chemical or biological hazard may arise and require appropriate management.

A new prototype chemical and biological sensor hub is installed to explore improved detection and monitoring capabilities. The main unit is linked to a security-operations console, with sensor nodes deployed both internally and externally throughout the site. During a brief calibration period the hub learns the local ambient profile, temperature, humidity and background particle levels.

Two weeks after commissioning, the sensor detects a sudden rise in a volatile signature, identifying a potentially hazardous substance in concentrations above expected environmental levels. Within seconds of detection, the hub sends an alarm with encrypted data to Mo, who initiates containment and emergency procedures.

A post-event review shows the signature matched an industrial pesticide that had been inadvertently released nearby. The system autonomously logs this new data and has the ability to learn from these events.

The trial proves to be a success, and with the relatively low cost of purchase and installation of this commercially available product, there is a plan to roll the chemical and biological sensor hubs out to other sites.

This challenge is focused on developing the next generation of chemical and biological sensors that could have wide utility across a number of sectors. We welcome innovators working on early proofs of concept for detecting chemical and biological substances, which are airborne in gas, vapour and aerosol forms, as well as those in liquid or solid states.

Innovators working in parallel sectors, such as healthcare, food, environment or agritech, that have sensing expertise, are encouraged to apply.

This challenge is seeking a demonstrator after a 12-week project, to a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 – technology basic validation in a laboratory environment, with a future roadmap of development.

Essential requirements:

• Must show a working prototype and then deliver the prototype to the sponsors for independent verification.
• A sensing unit must detect multiple chemical and biological substances in the same unit.
• Must detect, identify, quantify and monitor hazardous chemical and biological substances in situ with no requirement for lab-based analysis.
• Must be able to detect substances in gas, vapour, and aerosol phase.
• Must be small enough to be deployed into the existing infrastructure of a building.
• Sensors must be able to be networked to each other and a central system.
• Consider low maintenance and easy use by a non-technical user.
• Must be operable in busy, noisy, dirty and potentially polluted environments.
• Produce a roadmap that shows targets to:
  • Sense hundreds or thousands of chemical and biological substances.
  • An upgradable unit, ideally remotely through software.
  • Projected future costs of units.

Desirable requirements:

• Consider route to minimise false alarms of non-damaging substances such as pollen.
• Potential to detect non-volatile liquid or solid substances without contact between the sensor and the hazardous substance.
• Potential to develop further iterations that are deployable and/or handheld.
• Consider cybersecurity framework.

Not required:

• A high technology readiness sensor unit that does not fulfil long term requirements and cannot be upgraded.
• A standalone horizon scan of research and available sensors. This can form part of the work, but must not be the sole objective.

Competition opens: Monday 22 June 2026
Clarifying questions deadline: Tuesday 7 July 2026
Clarifying questions published: Tuesday 14 July 2026
Competition closes: Thursday 23 July 2026
Applicants notified: Friday 7 August 2026
Pitch Day: Thursday 13 August 2026
Pitch Day outcome: Monday 17 August 2026
Commercial onboarding begins: Friday 21 August 2026 (the successful solution provider will be expected to have availability for a one-hour onboarding call via MS Teams to begin the onboarding/contractual process)
Target project kick-off: September 2026

Proposals must be compliant with the HMGCC Co-Creation terms and conditions; by submitting your proposal you are confirming your organisation’s unqualified acceptance of Co-Creation terms and conditions. Commercial contracts and funding of successful applications will be engaged via our commercial collaborator, Cranfield University

Clarifying questions or general requests for assistance can be submitted directly to cocreation@hmgcc.gov.uk before the deadline with the challenge title as the subject. These clarifying questions may be technical, procedural, or commercial in subject, or anything else where assistance is required. Please note that answered questions will be published to facilitate a fair and open competition.

For any queries, please email Co-Creation@dstl.gov.uk and cocreation@hmgcc.gov.uk.