Dual-use aviation systems and autonomy

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £10 million in projects developing aviation technologies and systems that support both civil and military use cases.

The competition is designed to strengthen the UK’s national security and defence ecosystem while helping ambitious companies reduce barriers to adoption, commercialisation and operational readiness.

Funding will support the development of key dual-use aviation technologies, including Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, hybrid electric Vertical Take off and Landing aircraft, hybrid electric Conventional Take off and Landing aircraft, and other swarming, collaborative or autonomous aviation systems.

Projects should build on current state-of-the-art technologies and show a clear route towards commercialisation in civil and defence markets. They should also consider potential manufacturing at scale, end user needs and operational requirements.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to support development of, and reduce barriers to the adoption and commercialisation of, key dual-use aviation technologies.

These are specifically Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS), hybrid electric Vertical Take off and Landing aircraft (eVTOLs), hybrid electric Conventional Take off and Landing aircraft (eCTOLs), and other swarming, collaborative or autonomous aviation systems.

Dual-use items, including software and technology, are items which can be used for both civil and military purposes.

Innovate UK is seeking innovative projects that will build on current state-of-the-art technologies and progress towards commercialisation and operational readiness. Applications should also consider the potential to manufacture at scale and specific end user and operational needs.

Projects must progress the development, integration or operational readiness of aviation systems or capabilities, at technology readiness level (TRL) 5 or above at system level, in one or more of the following:

• systems or technologies developed for both civilian and military use
• systems or technologies developed for civilian use cases that are being adapted or integrated for military use
• systems or technologies developed for military use cases that are being adapted or integrated for civilian use

The technology being developed must have a clear pathway to commercialisation in civil and defence markets through strong alignment with key government stakeholder priorities.

Projects must include a UK customer or operator as a partner. Applicants must clearly state in the scope answer which partner meets this requirement.

Projects can include flight activities where this adds benefit to the project. If included, these must be performable within existing regulatory approvals or approvals obtainable by a clear and supported route within the project timeline. Applicants must demonstrate a clear understanding of how this will be achievable within the project duration.

Projects must be developing further maturity against current industry work. They must not be a repetition of previous work already completed by the applicant or others.

Key themes and topics

Innovate UK particularly welcomes applications that focus on strategically important use cases, for example:

• search and rescue
• aerial delivery, including heavy lift logistics and routine delivery, including those that support offshore energy infrastructure
• aerial survey, including disaster support, national resilience and security, reconnaissance, scientific or environmental research, border protection, critical infrastructure inspection and policing
• medical support, including emergency support and evacuation

Innovate UK welcomes applications that are developing UK sovereign technologies and systems. Low cost solutions are also of interest to support global competitiveness and scale, especially for military use cases.

Projects can focus on one or more of the following themes:

• swarming technologies in support of strategically important use cases
• multiplatform operations to safely and efficiently deliver complex aviation operations
• enabling capabilities that support multiple operators to have visibility of each other and relevant ground based operators
• heavy lift and vertical take off aircraft systems
• other themes that support relevant government missions and strategic objectives, and key stakeholder priorities. Applicants should outline what these are in the application

Examples of enabling capabilities include ground based electronic conspicuity reception, distributed sensing capabilities, integration of existing co-operative and third-party data sources. This list is not exhaustive.

Projects will not be funded if they:

• develop or use gyrocopters or High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS)
• develop or use counter Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) aircraft and systems
• only focus on applications to civil use cases unless converting from a military use case
• only focus applications to defence use cases unless converting from a civil use case
• develop sub-systems only, without integration and development of the operation of the overall system being a key element of the project
• are developing alternative propulsion systems or fuels such as hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen combustion or sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
• are developing batteries or charging systems for electric aircraft
• do not include a UK customer or operator
• do not demonstrate the potential for businesses involved to achieve economic growth
• include test or demonstration flights reliant on any regulatory approvals that are not either already granted or obtainable by a clear and supported route through the regulator within the project timeline

Project duration

8 to 12 months

Must start on 1 September 2026

End by 31 August 2027

Award value

Grant funding request between £300,000 and £1.25 million

Funding rates

For industrial research projects, purposeful research that builds new knowledge and skills to improve or develop products, processes, or services, often through prototypes or system components that validate ideas in realistic settings, you can get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For experimental development projects, which use existing knowledge to shape and refine new or improved products, processes, or services through prototyping, testing, and validation, not routine upgrades and are nearer to market, you can get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 45% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 35% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 25% if you are a large organisation

Research organisations can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs.

Eligibility criteria

• Projects must be collaborative and led by a UK registered business of any size or a public sector organisation
• Projects must include at least one grant claiming SME
• Collaborators can be a UK registered business of any size; an academic institution; a charity; a not for profit; a public sector organisation; or a research and technology organisation (RTO)
• Subcontractors must be preferably UK-based with fully justified and appropriate costs
• All funded project work must be carried out within the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• Subsidy control and state aid rules apply