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May 22, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

UK Defence and Security Accelerator themed competitions

We fund innovation through two main mechanisms, the Open Call for Innovation and Themed Competitions.

Open Call for Innovation

The Open Call exists to offer suppliers the opportunity to submit their ideas to defence and security stakeholders.

The Open Call welcomes innovations that address defence and/or security challenges. Please see some examples of work we have funded here.

The Open Call is open for proposals all year round, with assessment dates scheduled across the year. More information on assessment dates can be found here.

Themed Competitions

Themed Competitions exist to offer suppliers the opportunity to submit proposals around specific government areas of interest. Themed competitions may only run for a short time and have set closing dates.

DASA has had various themed competitions covering a range of topics. For details on past competitions, please see here.

To see examples of projects that have been funded through themed competitions, please see here.

Competitions currently open for application

Closing Date Competition Title
28 May 2019 Countering drones - finding and neutralising small UAS threats
11 June 2019 Developing the Royal Navy's autonomous underwater capability
18 June 2019 Semi-autonomous reconnaissance vehicles for the Army
26 June 2019 Space to innovate
1 July 2019 Future screening for aviation and borders
9 July 2019 Open Call for Innovation - Cycle 2
Various Help us scope future competitions

We also host a number of events; please see here for a list of our upcoming events.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apply-for-funding

On the same subject

  • Here’s how the Corps could shave about 6 pounds off your body armor

    September 28, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land

    Here’s how the Corps could shave about 6 pounds off your body armor

    By: Shawn Snow The Corps is in the beginning stages of researching a new, lighter alternative ballistic body armorplate for counterinsurgency style conflicts that is nearly six pounds lighter than the legacy plates. And on Thursday, it held an industry day with 16 companies vying to produce the Corps' latest body armor. The goal is to reduce battlefield fatigue and provide commanders with flexibility on the type of armor protection they decide to carry into combat, according to Keith Pierce, the armor team lead for Infantry Combat Equipment at Marine Corps Systems Command. While the current Enhanced Small Arms Protective, or ESAPI, have been highly effective in saving lives on the battlefield, they weigh nearly a combined 15 pounds, the Corps wants to shave that down to roughly 8.6 pounds for a medium-sized Marine, Pierce said. But don't expect the ESAPI to disappear just yet. The new plates are being crafted for low intensity threat environments like the counterinsurgency style wars that have embroiled American forces for nearly 20 years. While the new plates will “defeat a preponderance of threats” in low intensity conflicts, the ESAPIs will still be “critical in some threat environments,” Pierce explained to Marine Corps Times. But the changes to the new plates are still likely to be minimal. The Corps has decided to keep the same basic shape of the ESAPI, and there's unlikely to be any major changes in materials used to construct the armor plates “The materials for plates haven't had a big tech leap,” Pierce said. “A lot of people are trying to find that next leap.” The Army recently fielded a new plate, but its relatively of the same construction as the ESAPI, according to Pierce. “There may be incremental changes ... like the ceramic improving a little bit,” Pierce explained. But Pierce said he didn't expect any major changes over the next five years. “We are looking at some unique things,” he added. A lot of data and analysis is being pored over, to include assessments of the threat environment by the intelligence community for the construction of the new plates. So far, the Corps has tested a prototype of the lighter plates and found Marines had nearly eight percent faster mobility over the heavier ESAPIs. The new plates — when combined with the new Plate Carrier Gen III system — will reduce a Marine's load burden by a total of eight to 10 pounds, according to Pierce. The Corps expects to award a contract sometime in fiscal 2019 for the lightweight plates, and fielding might kick off in 2020, Pierce said. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/09/27/heres-how-the-corps-wants-to-shave-about-6-pounds-off-body-armor/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 15, 2021

    January 18, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 15, 2021

    MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price definite contract under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The total value of this contract is $254,708,912. Under this follow-on contract, the contractor will provide maintenance and sustainment for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries for UAE. The maintenance and sustainment scope of work includes providing logistics management, logistics product database, training, missile and ground repair and return, hardware/software development and sustainment, hardware in the loop, engineering services, missile field surveillance program and country unique specialty engineering for FMS client. The work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California; Grande Prairie, Texas; Camden, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; Anniston, Alabama; and Troy, Alabama. The performance period is from Jan. 15, 2021, through Jan. 14, 2026. One offer was solicited and one offer was received. UAE FMS funds in the amount of $254,708,912 will be used to fund this effort. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-19-C-5001). NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries Fleet Support Group, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $174,910,371 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide Navy aircraft carrier Elevator Support Unit maintenance and repair. Work will be performed aboard Navy CVNs (aircraft carrier nuclear propulsion) within the continental U.S.; outside the continental U.S.; and forward deployed locations according to individual task orders, and is expected to be completed by January 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funding will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured and solicited via the beta.SAM.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-D-4103). CSRA LLC, Washington, D.C., is awarded a $57,000,000 modification (P00002) to previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61340-18-D-0002. This modification increases the ceiling to provide the Navigation Seamanship Shiphandling Trainers program, training systems and upgrades to meet fleet emergent requirements based on the Chief of Naval Operations mandated expansion in navigation related training hours and navigation related training capability at schoolhouses throughout the world. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (44%); Everett, Washington (14%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (14%); Yokosuka, Japan (14%); Rota, Spain (13%); San Diego, California (0.5%); and Sasebo, Japan (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds will be obligated at time of award and funds will be issued against individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. EG Designbuild LLC,* Germantown, Maryland, is awarded a $16,239,000 firm-fixed-price task order (N69450-21-F-0872) under previously-awarded multiple-award contract N69450-19-D-0919 for construction of a Special Operations Forces watercraft maintenance facility at Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida. The task order also contains three unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $18,385,020. The work to be performed includes construction of a new maintenance facility for the repair of special operations forces' hard-hulled and soft-hulled watercraft, including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire protection utilities. This includes demolition of the existing bunker, KW-800, currently used as a climate-controlled exercise facility by facility personnel; construction of a new vehicular entrance ramp and exit ramp to the maintenance facility; and modifications to the existing storm water permit to address the new construction. The options, if exercised, provide for a hard-hull shop, vehicular ramp and overhead cooling door, and furniture, fixtures and equipment. Three proposals were received for this task order. Work will be performed in Key West, Florida, and is expected to be completed by October 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $16,239,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $13,036,252 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-21-F-0227) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0008. This modification procures non-recurring site stand-up activity, capability development, information technology systems integration and associated changes to F-35 Lightning II program and industry processes as needed to allow the Defense Logistics Agency and U.S. Transportation Command to assume North American regional warehouse and global transportation and distribution product support provider responsibilities. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (63.9%); Orlando, Florida (26.6%); Bethesda, Maryland (8.5%); and Greenville, South Carolina (1%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,518,126; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $6,518,126, will be obligated at time of award, $6,518,126 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. EC America Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $9,053,930 firm-fixed-price order (M67854-21-F-4906) against previously issued Department of Defense Enterprise Initiative blanket purchase agreement N66001-19-A-0057. This blanket purchase agreement call order provides for the renewal of Tanium brand software license subscriptions currently deployed in the Marine Corps Enterprise Network environment and associated onsite technical support in Quantico, Virginia (100%). Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,053,930 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire Sept. 30, 2021. This was a limited-source acquisition in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74 and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 8.405-6. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-21-F-4906). Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded an $8,963,961 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5145 to exercise options for DDG 1000 ship class integrated logistics support. The Total Ship Activation (TSA) contract includes mission system activation, hull mechanical and electrical activation efforts to include waterfront integration, activation and test of Zumwalt class mission systems and mission system equipment at the system and subsystem levels; development and conduct of the Zumwalt class TSA test program; personnel, program management, planning, training and other efforts required to effectively support the execution of the Zumwalt class TSA; development and review of design drawings, technical data packages, installation control drawings and change documentation in support of Zumwalt class TSA; and development and implementation of government-approved proposed changes and the implementation of Zumwalt class cybersecurity/information assurance requirements. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (50%); and Tewksbury, Massachusetts (50%), and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $138,349 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Continuus Pharmaceuticals Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $69,300,000 firm-fixed-price contract to develop a domestic production capability for critical active pharmaceutical ingredients and final dosage form medicines using their proprietary integrated continuous manufacturing technology. These medicines are currently used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed April 15, 2023. Fiscal 2021 other procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8505-20-S-0002). Mile Two LLC, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $14,788,874 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for support to the Air Force Research Laboratory Autonomy Capabilities Team Three mission through the development of production level software systems and rapid prototyping of new operational concepts that leverage best practices for application development operations by expanding, extending, or enhancing work performed under the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Phase II, Air Force Topic 183-005, FA8751-19-C-A048, entitled “TechSuite: TechScout and Project Tracking Prototype Applications.” Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed Jan. 15, 2026. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,297,394, will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8751-19-C-A048). ARMY Nordic Industries Inc., Olivehurst, California, was awarded a $29,554,401 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of approximately 1.8 miles of varying types of seepage cutoff walls. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Sacramento, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 15, 2021. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $29,554,401 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-21-C-0010). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $27,700,947 modification (P00028) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0016 for maintenance support services for Saudi Arabia's Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command Aviation program. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of Jul. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $27,700,947 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was awarded a $10,448,906 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research project for the Joint All-Domain Warfighting Software (JAWS) program. JAWS seeks to develop a software suite to maximize the effectiveness of military force through theater scale battle management command and control with automation and predictive analytics. This capability would develop the enabling software for the warfighter to adaptably setup and execute synchronized kill webs encompassing the undersea, sea surface, land, air, space and electromagnetic domains. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (59%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (11%); Richardson, Texas (3%); McKinney, Texas (8%); Centennial, Colorado (1%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); and Woburn, Massachusetts (15%), with an expected completion date of April 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,000,000; and fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,918,181, are being obligated at the time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition in which 12 offers were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-21-C-0010). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2474326/source/GovDelivery/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 27, 2020

    July 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 27, 2020

    ARMY Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $529,058,476 modification (P00202) to contract W52P1J-10-C-0062 for Kuwait base operations and security support services. Work will be performed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $248,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $58,487,824 firm-fixed-price contract to ensure suitable time and ceiling are available to meet the requirements of the Automated Installation Entry system. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-15-D-0047). SCD.USA Infrared LLC, Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $17,425,550 firm-fixed-price contract for sustainment support services for the AN/VSQ-6B Vehicle Optics Sensor system. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2030. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56JSR-20-D-0016). Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $16,043,475 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor staff augmentation services to migrate the Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program components and Global Combat Support System-Army system. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 26, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $16,043,475 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0432). Owyhee Group Co.,* Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $9,209,263 firm-fixed-price contract for the Army cold weather combat boot. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Boise, Idaho, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $9,209,263 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-F-0360). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Dynalec Corp. Inc., Sodus, New York, has been awarded an estimated $17,685,523 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for electronic and communication components. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a July 24, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX20D016). (Awarded July 24, 2020) NAVY CBGG JV LLC,* Silver Spring, Maryland, is awarded a $12,982,363 firm-fixed-price contract for trailer procurement Phase II at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. Work will be performed in Jacksonville and Havelock, North Carolina. The work to be performed provides for the procurement, delivery and set-up of 75 interim relocatable facilities, with 62 to be located at MCB Camp Lejeune and 13 to be located at MCAS Cherry Point. The new facilities will include administrative, classroom trailers, post office, medical aid station, computer lab, chapel and fire station. Work is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $12,982,363 are obligated on this award, of which $11,200,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website and 13 proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-C-0008). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2289819/source/GovDelivery/

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