The Innovation Initiative’s £6M Accelerator Enduring Challenge has been launched today by Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin.
The challenge seeks to discover innovative solutions to defence by fast tracking these ideas into solutions to help protect our Armed Forces.
Run by the MOD’s new Defence and Security Accelerator, the competition seeks the best ideas which will receive funding for their development, help match suppliers with Innovation Partners and help boost supply chain access into defence.
The competition will run regularly, with up to 12 rounds a year.
The MOD’s investment in innovative solutions has already seen success with a life-saving device developed by the University of Strathclyde, which will minimise blood loss in severely injured personnel; and 2iC’s state-of-the-art work on secure data exchange between soldiers, vehicles, and bases and between coalition partners and allies
Opening the competition in London, Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said: “The Accelerator Enduring Challenge is another important step in our Innovation Initiative’s aim to transform defence. Backed by a rising defence budget and our £800M Innovation Fund, the Innovation Initiative is transforming Defence’s creative culture.
“We are challenging academics and businesses of all kinds to innovate, cooperate, and build mutual security and prosperity as the UK develops its ambitious Industrial Strategy to ensure an economy that works for everyone.”
Acting Head of the Accelerator, Rob Solly, said: “Through the Enduring Challenge we are hoping to reach out to a wide supply base, which can provide us with innovative ideas that challenge our ways of thinking and operating. We will then work with selected suppliers to support them in their development towards market delivery.”
The first competition of the Accelerator Enduring Challenge is now open, with a deadline of 5 April 2017 to submit proposals. The competition will then operate on a regular basis with up to 12 rounds per year.
More information is available on the Accelerator’s website.
Defence and Security Accelerator enduring challenge Innovation innovation initiative MOD
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