DASA Competition: Generation After Next Communications & Networks

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals for innovative technologies for communications, networking and information services, with an emphasis on the challenges that are specific to defence. This competition is part of a phased campaign being run in support of the Dstl Communications and Networks Programme.

The scope includes the development of new physical layers, networking and information layer concepts and protocols, as well as cross-cutting aspects such as inter-layer interactions, network management approaches, and the impact of novel information assurance technologies. We are particularly interested in proposals that address the challenges specific to the defence context and hence are less likely to be satisfied by technologies directly lifted from the civil world. Examples of such issues include;

• Denial of communications technologies by highly capable adversaries
• The need to adapt rapidly to changing operational context – including changes in communications capability – without dependence on expert staff
• The need to integrate rapidly into heterogeneous networks and information systems

Total funding for all phases of the competition is £6 million :

• First Discovery phase £1 million
• First Development phase £2 million
• Second Discovery phase £1 million
• Final Development phase £2 million

This initial stage of the competition will open the first of the ‘Discovery’ phases and will follow the anticipated timetable above. For this phase, the total funding available is £1M (ex VAT), and we expect to fund 8-10 proposals.

Scope

We are seeking proposals for novel capability in the fields of Communications, Networking and Information Services. Proposals can be based on novel ideas within existing communications standards and defence networks, or for completely new approaches to transmitting information.

Proposals can be generic in application, or could target one of the domains of defence (including Air, Land and Maritime); however, proposals should be focused on military deployed scenarios, rather than fixed communications infrastructure, such as data centres. In addition, proposals solely restricted to the space domain are not in the scope of this competition.

We welcome approaches looking to exploit civilian communications technology components that could be modified to support defence requirements.