Calling all aviation companies – new Innovate UK funding launched for dual use tech

Innovate UK has recently launched a new grant funding pot (£10m in total) for aviation technology that has both civil and military use cases (dual use). 

Also launched is a separate pot (total £5m) for counter-UAS technologies that, again, are dual use. 

The aim of the first 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.

The aim of the second competition is to develop new solutions to counter the illegal use of UAS around civil and military sites, including airports, prisons, critical national infrastructure, schools and public events. Innovate UK say they welcome solutions that can effectively detect, track, identify, decide and defeat current and emerging threats whilst minimising collateral damage and interference with communications and electronics.

It is worth noting that both competitions are open only to collaborations, and one of the consortium must be a UK-based SME.

But be quick – both competitions close on 3 June 2026.

More details can be found here and here.