What Happened to DASA? UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) Explained

DASA, the Defence and Security Accelerator, no longer exists as a standalone body. It became part of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) in February 2026, and the long-running Open Call for Innovation has been closed since 13 January 2026. Money is still being awarded through UKDI themed competitions, but the old "submit any idea, any time" route is not currently open, so what you should do depends on whether your technology fits a live challenge.

All dates and figures below are as of 30 September 2026 and come from gov.uk and Innovate UK Business Connect pages, linked in each section. UKDI is still changing its processes, so check the source before you commit time to anything.

What DASA was, and where it went

DASA was the Ministry of Defence's route for funding early-stage innovation from companies that were not already defence suppliers. UKDI was launched on 1 July 2025 as a consolidation of existing defence innovation units. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) described DASA at that point as "an integral part of UKDI" and reported a ringfenced £400 million annual budget for the new body (RUSI, 18 July 2025).

The gov.uk organisation page for DASA now states that it "became part of UK Defence Innovation in February 2026" (GOV.UK, checked 30 September 2026). The DASA name survives in places, including some submission guidance, but the funder you are dealing with is UKDI.

What happened to the Open Call for Innovation

The Open Call was the part of DASA most small companies knew. It was open to ideas across defence and security, with no fixed theme. Two findings from the competition page for the final cycle matter:

• Cycle 4 closed on 13 January 2026, and the page states the Open Call "will be closed from the end of Cycle 4" while UKDI works towards full operating capability.
• The same page said the new service "will reopen prior to UKDI Full Operating Capability in July 2026."

Source: GOV.UK, Open Call for Innovation CY2025 Cycle 4. July 2026 has passed. We could not find a gov.uk page confirming a general Open Call for Innovation has reopened. What gov.uk does say is that UKDI is "developing a new way" to receive and assess ideas for Defence, and that details will follow (live funding opportunities). Treat any claim that the old Open Call is back with caution until you see a live competition page with a deadline.

Defence Innovation Loans, the later-stage route, are also paused "while we work on a new, improved service" (GOV.UK, UKDI competition services).

What is live now

UKDI has run two themed competitions recently. Both illustrate how the funder now works: a defined problem, a short first stage, and a detailed second stage only if you are invited.

Sources: Security Open Call competition document and Innovate UK Business Connect, PANOPTES listing.

GOV.UK's live opportunities page also lists challenges expected to launch: Tactical Power in October 2026, and Rapid Detection of Toxic Gases and Generation After Next Electro-Optics in November 2026. These are planned dates, not commitments.

How UKDI assesses proposals

UKDI's prospective applicant guidance says proposals are judged on three criteria (GOV.UK, updated 23 September 2026):

1. Desirability: the defence or security benefit and how well it solves the stated problem.
2. Feasibility: the technical approach, delivery plan and team capability.
3. Viability: costs, resources and value for money.

The guidance lists common reasons for rejection as insufficient technical detail, weak articulation of the defence or security benefit, and poor justification of the resources requested. It also says assessors have limited time per proposal. The practical reading is that a proposal has to make the customer benefit obvious early, not leave it for the reader to infer.

Who can apply

The general guidance names sole traders, SMEs, large companies, research organisations and universities, and says applicants must be registered on Companies House. Individual competitions add their own rules. The Security Open Call accepted applications only from UK-based organisations, or the UK-registered entity of an international organisation where the work is done in the UK. PANOPTES was limited to UK-registered organisations, sole traders or UK academic institutes, with one proposal per organisation.

One change worth knowing: from 17 July 2026 UKDI stopped providing Innovation Partner support to overseas innovators, although they may still be eligible for selected calls (same guidance page).

Themed competitions also carry technology readiness requirements. The Security Open Call required projects to reach TRL 6 or 7 by completion. If you are unsure where your technology sits, our guide to technology readiness levels explains the scale.

Should you apply?

Being honest about fit saves more time than a well-written proposal does. A defence competition is probably not for you if:

• Your technology has no plausible defence or security customer. Desirability is the first criterion, and a stretch will show.
• You are hoping for a general-purpose route. With the Open Call closed, you need a live challenge that matches your work.
• Your project is below the readiness the competition asks for, or well above it.
• You cannot accept the standard contract terms. The Security Open Call document requires unqualified acceptance of the Innovation Standard Contract terms, and you should read them, including the IP provisions, before you spend time on Stage 2.

It is a reasonable bet if your technology solves a problem a live challenge names, you can evidence its current readiness, and you can absorb a short first stage with no guarantee of an invitation to the second. Nothing here improves your odds beyond making your case clearer: assessment is competitive and decided by UKDI's assessors.

How to stay informed during the transition

• Check GOV.UK live funding opportunities for open, upcoming and paused routes.
• Use the UKDI submission service and the "Contact UKDI Innovation Partner" link for pre-submission conversations.
• Watch Innovate UK Business Connect's security and defence listings, which carry many UKDI and related challenges with briefing events.
• Prepare a reusable short description of your technology, its readiness level and the defence or security problem it addresses, so a new challenge does not start you from zero.

What GrantHero does for defence innovators

Our aim is to help you find the competitions worth your time and put forward a stronger application, and to tell you when a competition is probably not a fit. Discovery, our free tier, covers matching and eligibility fit checks. When you decide to go ahead with an application, experienced grant experts work alongside the platform: Expert Support is £1,300 plus a 3% success fee per application, and Full Service is £2,500 plus a 3% success fee (pricing page, checked 30 September 2026). We would want to talk through your specific UKDI competition first, because the submission route differs from Innovate UK's, and some listed inclusions are built around Innovate UK applications. See how we approach technology and deep-tech funding.