Funding Calls

Accelerator Enduring Challenge

The Accelerator Enduring Challenge provides a route into defence and security for any supplier who thinks they have an idea that can benefit UK Defence and Security, at home or abroad. It exists because we can’t possibly know all the potential solutions and novel approaches out there – whether that’s more advanced technical capability, how we work or operate, or how we train our people. As well as all our existing suppliers, we want to attract those who have not worked with defence and security before.

The Accelerator Enduring Challenge is building on the previously run Centre for Defence Enterprise enduring competitions. It provides some direction on what MOD’s on-going research challenges are, while still remaining open to all highly innovative ideas that challenge existing conventions and have a high potential benefit for the defence and security end user.

It has a budget of up to £6 million in financial year 2017/18. The Accelerator typically funds proposals for proof-of-concept research in the range of £50,000 to £90,000 for work of up to 9 months duration.

We won’t accept proposals for more than £90,000 or for projects lasting more than 9 months at phase 1. This is to ensure that we are focused on rapid proof-of-concept research.

Challenge Sub-categories
protection personnel, platforms, facilities, digital systems, materials
situational awareness sensors, precision navigation and timing, reduced global positioning system (GPS) dependability, surveillance, status of digital systems
power provision, sources, non fossil, hybrid, management, fuel efficiency
communications secure, unsecure, mobile, novel forms
data cyber, information, big data, management and processing, sensemaking, visualisation, delivery, interoperability
lethality weapons: conventional, novel, directed energy, defence, less than lethal
mobility platforms, air, land, sea, space, human, means of propulsion
human performance physical and mental, systems interface, survivability, sustainment, training, medical
lower cost of ownership platforms, equipment, facilities

Full information