£1.85 million competition launched to counter illegal UAS use around prisons and sensitive sites

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), on behalf of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), has launched a new themed competition to tackle the illegal use of drones around prisons.

The ‘Countering illegal use of UAS around prisons and sensitive sites’ competition is looking for practical, low‑collateral technologies that can safely stop hostile drones once they breach secure prison airspace.

Up to £1.85 million (excluding VAT) is available, with funding expected to support several projects across two challenge areas.

The competition is delivered by UKDI on behalf of the MOJ, working with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and wider UK security partners including the Home Office, Police, NDA, Ministry of Defence, Innovate UK and others.

Why this matters

Criminal groups are increasingly using drones to deliver contraband into prisons, carry out surveillance and disrupt operations. These drones are cheap, easy to use and difficult to stop — creating a direct risk to prison safety and wider national security.

Traditional counter‑drone methods, such as kinetic interceptors or wide‑area jamming, are often unsuitable in custodial and urban environments. They can carry unacceptable risks to people, infrastructure and communications.

This competition focuses on last‑line‑of‑defence solutions — technologies that can safely neutralise a drone after other protective measures have failed, without causing unnecessary disruption or harm.

What we’re looking for

We’re seeking solutions that

• Act as a last line of defence once a drone has entered a secure area
• Can be used within the powers available to prison officers
• Neutralise drones with minimal risk to people, buildings and communications
• Are safe to use in prisons, urban areas and near critical national infrastructure
• Can be deployed quickly by a small team, without specialist training
• Are legally and ethically compliant, with clear consideration of operational constraints

Integrated detect, track and identify capabilities are welcome, but this competition is focused on defeating drones — not detection alone.

What we’re not looking for

We will not fund

• Paper‑based studies or literature reviews
• Unchanged resubmissions of previous UKDI or DASA bids
• Off‑the‑shelf products with no experimental development (unless applied in a genuinely novel way)
• Solutions with no realistic path to operational use
• High‑collateral kinetic approaches, such as firearms or explosives
• Static physical measures like netting or fixed capture systems
• Concepts requiring major infrastructure changes
• Solutions that are not scalable or adaptable to real‑world operations

Two challenge areas

Challenge 1 Higher‑readiness solutions

• Must reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 by project end
• Project length 3–6 months
• Expected to demonstrate a working prototype in an operational environment
• Clear route towards deployment

Challenge 2 Medium‑readiness concepts

• Must reach TRL 4 or 5 by project end
• Project length up to 12 months
• Focused on ideas with strong potential for future capability

Key dates

• Competition closes 1200 midday (BST), 31 March 2026
• Launch webinar Tuesday 17 February 2026 (register via Eventbrite)
• Projects start Expected early July 2026