Dual-Use Aviation

Dual-Use Aviation Systems and Autonomy is an Innovate UK competition opened in May 2026, offering up to £10m to UK companies developing technologies applicable to both civil and military aviation, including uncrewed aircraft systems and autonomous flight. SME collaboration is mandatory for applicants. The competition closes on 3 June 2026, the same deadline as Innovate UK's companion competition on Counter UAS Technologies (up to £5m) .

The dual-use framing is deliberate: it positions Innovate UK as a bridge between commercial drone and aviation development and the Ministry of Defence's growing interest in autonomous systems. The competition sits alongside the MOD's Sprint and Zig-Zag procurement mechanisms, which had not published a first deployment six weeks after launch, and the £20m accelerated contracts fund. Together, these mechanisms form the SME-tier of Britain's emerging defence technology pipeline.

The mandatory SME collaboration requirement reflects a structural lesson from past defence procurement: large primes dominate contracts, and small specialist firms are unable to demonstrate capability at scale. By requiring SME involvement from the outset, Innovate UK creates a pathway for startups to build reference customers and compliance track records without first navigating MoD prime contractor relationships. For UK defence-tech founders, the £10m ceiling and 3 June deadline make this a fast-moving, accessible route into the government's dual-use autonomous systems pipeline.