Novel Autonomy and Robotics (Phase 1) — UK Defence Innovation / Dstl

A new UKDI competition to develop early-stage disruptive science and technology for future game-changing advances in Defence robotics and autonomous systems.

This UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) competition is run on behalf of the
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
’s Autonomy Programme Incubator project. It seeks proposals that develop early-stage novel and disruptive science and technology (S&T) that may give rise to future game-changing advances in Defence robotics and autonomous systems. The aim is to find cutting-edge low-technology readiness level (TRL) S&T ideas that may be matured to support military use of autonomous systems across land, sea and air environments.
In this competition we will be running a 2-stage process. UKDI has introduced this 2-stage submission process to help innovators understand early on, and with reduced effort, if their idea is appropriate for the competition and to make the review and decision-making process more efficient. The table below summarises the differences and expectations of the 2 stages.
Competition key information
Key Information
Competition Details
Submission Stage 1 deadline
12:00 Midday on 11 August 2026 (
BST
)
Submission Stage 1 decision release
20 August 2026
Submission Stage 2 open (by invitation)
12:00 Midday 20 August 2026 (
BST
)
Submission Stage 2 deadline
12:00 Midday on 17 September 2026 (
BST
)
Total funding available
Project Phase 1 - £600,000 (excluding VAT). Maximum proposal value is £60,000. Estimated funding for Project Phase 2 is £600,000
Technology Readiness Level
(TRL)
Starting at TRL 1  or 2, You must move through at least one TRL level during the project
Contract start month
Aim to start November 2026
Project duration
Equal to or less than 3 months
Risk Assessment Reference
RAR-SLWSHVL; Level 1
Feedback release date
31 October 2026
Pre-sift criteria
See Section 9 Pre-sift Criteria
Where do I submit my proposal?
Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 proposals are to be submitted via the
UKDI Online Submission Service
where you will need to register for an account if you don’t already have one. Only proposals submitted through the UKDI Online Submission Service will be accepted.
Innovators are strongly advised to submit their proposal at least one hour before the specified deadline. Proposals submitted close to the deadline risk encountering issues that cannot be resolved in time.
Webinar
On 20 July 2026, UKDI hosted a launch webinar providing further detail on the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. View the webinar below.
Novel Autonomy and Robotics Webinar
.