The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP)

Key Features

DTEP is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to develop innovative materials, technologies and processes, and to enhance defence supply chains.

Programme:     DASA

Award:     Share of up to £16 million

Opens: 27th Jul 2022

Closes: 7th Sep 2023

! This scheme is now closed

Overview

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported by Innovate UK has launched a new opportunity to apply for grant funding; a £16 million programme – The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP).

The grant awards will be provided by Innovate UK.

Scope

DTEP is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to develop innovative materials, technologies and processes, and to enhance defence supply chains.

DTEP aims to inspire companies to win new business, develop industrial capabilities, and provide new cutting-edge answers to defence problems at home and abroad. The programme will offer up to 50% grant funding to collaborations between UK-registered Lower Tier Suppliers and Higher Tier Suppliers developing projects which support the current and upcoming equipment capabilities and technology priorities of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

DTEP aims to:

  • strengthen the technology development capabilities of UK defence supply chain companies
  • create / sustain high value jobs in the UK defence supply chain
  • enable the development of technologies in line with the MOD Enduring Capability Challenges.

Your proposal should include evidence of:

  • technology, processes or materials that can be pulled into the defence supply chain
  • collaboration with a Higher Tier Supplier evidence of potential commercialisation pathway through to strategic supplier

Exclusions

DASA are not interested in proposals that:

  • are low-TRL research
  • constitute consultancy, paper-based studies or literature reviews which just summarise the existing literature without any view of future innovation
  • offer demonstrations of off-the-shelf products requiring no experimental development (unless applied in a novel way to the challenge)
  • offer no real long-term prospect of integration into defence and security capabilities
  • offer no real prospect of out-competing existing solutions

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply for a DTEP grant, there must be a collaboration in place between a Lower Tier Supplier and a Higher Tier Supplier, both of which must be registered in the UK. The Lower Tier supplier must lead on all elements of the submission process.

Your innovation must align with one or more of the MOD Enduring Capability Challenges. These areas are likely to evolve in future cycles of the programme.

The Lower Tier Supplier may collaborate and sub-contract with other SMEs, Research and Technology Organisations (RTO’s) or Academia. Collaborators must also be UK-registered and must carry out project development activity in the UK.

It is only the Lower Tier Supplier that is eligible to receive grant funding.

Funding

DTEP offers companies grant funding of up to 50% of a total project expenditure. There is no lower limit to project cost, however, it is expected that most project totals will be between £100K and £500K. The competition will have a maximum allowable project value of £1M (i.e. maximum grant award of £500K). Projects must plan to start within 6 months of Innovate UK grant award and run for a maximum duration of 18 months.

The Higher Tier Supplier must contribute a minimum of 15% of the grant value through their own resources, e.g. staff time, equipment, facilities, expertise etc. This should be detailed within the full proposal.

Application Process

DTEP is open for proposals all year round with cycles closing at 3 month intervals for assessment of submissions.

Applications will be made in various stages:

  1. Outline Proposal submitted to DASA
  2. Full Submission submitted to DASA
  3. Further Grant Information submitted to Innovate UK

Please note that once you have had an Outline Proposal accepted, you can submit into any of the Full Proposal cycles. However, if you have had a Full Proposal recommended for funding, you will need to submit the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application by the close date associated with that cycle. Please note that the Outline and Full Proposals will be submitted into DASA and the IFS application into Innovate UK.

View full competition guidance here.

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.