Notice

Competition Document: Human Augmentation

Updated 19 May 2023

1. Introduction

Human Augmentation (HA) is the use of science or technology to temporarily or permanently modify human performance. It includes optimisation, enhancement, reducing the potential for performance degradation by stressors (e.g. climate, equipment, task) and restoration of individuals. HA encompasses a range of technologies including, but not limited to; exoskeletons, wearables, genetics, brain interfaces, pharmaceuticals, and bioinformatics^{[footnote 1]}.

Recent advances in science and technology (S&T) have led to a considerable variety of technologies (at various levels of technical maturity and readiness) that could be considered to directly or indirectly augment the human. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) are carefully exploring where these technologies could add value to the Defence Environment.

Humans are a critical component of all Defence capabilities. As the battlefield becomes more complex and the demands on our personnel increase, in order to win tactical advantage Armed Forces personnel will have to out-think and out-pace their adversaries. If HA technologies can be harnessed safely and ethically to develop enhanced levels of performance beyond that which can be achieved by innate talent, aptitude and learning, it is possible they could afford improvements in capability across the whole force.

2. Competition key information

Submission deadline

13 June 2023 at 12 midday (BST).

Where do I submit my proposal?

Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account.

Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

You must not submit any information classified above OFFICIAL.

Total funding available

The total funding available for this competition is up to £2 million (Exc. VAT). DASA expects to fund 5-10 proposals.

However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £2 million (Exc. VAT) that demonstrates value for money, provides high quality supporting evidence to deliver on the competition focus.

Contracts will be awarded and must complete by end of March 2025 which will be a maximum of 18 months in duration (although proposals of shorter duration will also be accepted ).

3. Supporting events

Dial-in session

Wednesday 3 May 2023

This dial-in session will provide further detail on the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page.

To get the most out of this session, we strongly advise that you attend with a good knowledge of the competition document.

4. Competition Scope

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition aims to develop safe and ethical, Generation-After-Next (GAN) ^{[footnote 2]} prototype HA technologies that mitigate human performance as the limiting factor in a UK Defence environment. Suppliers are invited to develop and prototype a HA technology to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6. (e.g. test and evaluation of a prototype in a relevant environment) by the end of the contract.

For this competition, a relevant environment is one that can be simulated in a laboratory setting, for example, a control room, a treadmill based march, extreme (controlled) environments and a scenario that includes decision making as a team or a scenario that is presented in virtual reality. Please note that these examples are not exhaustive.

Suppliers will be invited to submit proposals to develop HA technologies to reduce human performance as the limiting factor in Defence scenarios. Suppliers should focus on technologies that influence the following human capabilities and aptitudes, including but not limited to:

• sensory enhancement to support mission outcomes
• collaborative working (including human-human and human-machine)
• attention during tasks with a cognitive element
• enhanced decision making (reduced time and improved outcomes)
• physical endurance
• strength
• overcoming limitations to physical and cognitive fatigue

4.1 Exploitation

The primary exploitation pathway for funded proposals will be via the Dstl HA project. The outputs of this project will be used to inform the development of anticipatory HA policy within UK government.

The role of the HA project is to inform the Defence ambition for safe and ethical HA technologies. We have mechanisms in place within the project to demonstrate the art of the possible for these technologies to defence, so Defence can make decisions about whether they want to pursue develop the capabilities further.

4.2 What innovations are we looking for?

This competition aims to develop safe and ethical, GAN prototype HA technologies that mitigate human performance as the limiting factor in a UK Defence environment. Suppliers are invited to develop and prototype a HA technology to TRL 5-6. (E.g. test and evaluation of a prototype in a relevant environment).

For this competition, a relevant environment is one that can be simulated in a laboratory setting, for example, a control room, a treadmill based march, extreme (controlled) environments and a scenario that includes decision making as a team or a scenario that is presented in virtual reality. Please note that these examples are not exhaustive.

The proposal should develop novel, safe and ethical GAN prototypes to benefit end-users working in UK Defence. We would encourage collaborative proposals from multi-disciplinary organisations or individuals to provide a holistic approach.

Your proposal should demonstrate the following elements:

• How the proposed technology differs and provides an advantage over alternative (or extant) solutions;
• The current position of the technology;
• The desired technology end state;
• Technology gaps that need to be filled by research and development and the plan to address these gaps;

Or include a work package detailing how the above would be developed.

4.3 Road mapping

Proposals should include a work package to complete a technology roadmap using a template provided by Dstl. This template will summarise information in a standardised format that has been agreed by defence stakeholders. A copy of the template will be provided on contract award. Details included in the template are:

• Current technology position - will include technology description, technology analysis / assessment, technology readiness level and scientific readiness level.
• Desired technology position - will include technology description, technology readiness level and scientific readiness level.
• Capability gaps in the technology and development required to fill gaps.
• Dependencies
• Timelines
• Risks and issues
• Assumptions
• Legal, ethical and societal considerations

The road mapping plans and costs should include provision for attendance at a workshop hosted by Dstl at Porton Down in Salisbury. This workshop will bring together the supplier team with end users and Dstl staff to review the developed road map.

4.4 Prototype Development

• How the project will develop the evidence base to prove the efficacy of the technology;
• How the project will develop hardware (if applicable);
• How the project will develop software (if applicable);
• Details of the test and evaluation plan;
• End user engagement is essential to this work, thus proposals should include a work package to facilitate engagement. Note that access to end users and stakeholders will be facilitated by the Dstl Technical Partner who will be working with successful suppliers on this project
• Demonstration of the technology to end users at the end of the project. Note this will be facilitated by Dstl / DASA

5. Competition Use Cases

This competition has 3 use cases.

Suppliers will be invited to submit proposals against one (or a combination) of the following use cases:

Use Case 1: Biofeedback Systems

Systems that measure user state, interpret the resulting data and deliver an effect based on the data.

Use Case 2: The Warfighter Ensemble

Equipment that is worn closely on the body and is designed to optimise and enhance biological functions.

Use Case 3: Sensory Enhancements

Enhancing the human senses beyond typical biological capability.

Any questions, please register for the Q&A session on the Eventbrite page.

5.1 We are interested in…

We want novel ideas to benefit end-users working in UK Defence and Security. Your proposal should include evidence of:

• how your solution technologies mitigate human performance as the limiting factor
• how your theoretical development, method of advancement or proof of concept research can demonstrate potential for translation to practical demonstration in later phases
• how the proposed work clearly applies to any defence and security context
• how your solution can be applied in a safe and ethical manner

5.2 We are not interested in…

We are not interested in proposals that:

• are not focussed on the generation after next
• do not demonstrate improvements or benefits to existing systems
• develop technologies that only monitor human performance (e.g. wearable technologies that provide no intervention or effect )
• do not progress the TRL of existing technologies
• do not involve experimental development (i.e. desk based studies or literature reviews)
• relate to education and learning
• constitute consultancy, paper-based studies or literature reviews which just summarise the existing literature without any view of future innovation
• an unsolicited resubmission of a previous DASA bid
• 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 capabilities
• offer no real prospect of out-competing existing technological solutions
• complete after March 2025, and are longer than 18 months duration

Project ideas, limited to 500 word Expression of Interest (EOI) may be submitted to an innovator’s Innovation Partner to determine whether the proposal is in scope for this competition.

6. Accelerating and exploiting your innovation

It is important that over the lifetime of DASA competitions, ideas are matured and accelerated towards appropriate end-users to enhance capability. How long this takes will depend on the nature and starting point of the innovation.

6.1 A clear route for exploitation

For DASA to consider routes for exploitation, ensure your deliverables are designed with the aim of making it as easy as possible for collaborators/stakeholders to identify the innovative elements of your proposal.

Whilst DASA recognises that early identification and engagement with potential end users during the competition and subsequent phases are essential to implementing an exploitation plan, during the competition phase there should be no correspondence between suppliers and DASA other than via the DASA helpdesk email at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, or their local Innovation Partner.

All proposals to DASA should articulate the expected development in technology maturity of the potential solution over the lifetime of the contract and how this relates to improved capability against the current known (or presumed) baseline.

6.2 How to outline your exploitation plan

Include the following information to help the assessors understand your exploitation plans to date:

• How the maturity of the technology will progress through the work outlined in the proposal.
• How the maturity of the technology should progress beyond the work outlined in the proposal.
• If end users have been identified for the technology. If not, indicate how this will be achieved and at what stage in the project.
• If use cases have been developed for the technology. If not, indicate how this will be achieved and at what stage in the project.
• the anticipated benefits (for example, in cost, time, improved capability) that your solution will provide to the user
• Dependencies (for example other example enabling technologies)
• Any specific legal, ethical, commercial or regulatory considerations for exploitation

6.3 Is your exploitation plan long term?

This competition is being carried out as part of a wider MOD programme and with cognisance of cross-Government initiatives. We may collaborate with several organisations outside of the UK Government and this may provide the opportunity to carry out international trials and demonstrations in the future.

7. How to apply

Submission deadline

13 June 2023 at 12 midday (BST).

Where do I submit my proposal?

Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account.

Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

You must not submit any information classified above OFFICIAL. If you have any questions, please contact DASA in advance of submission.

Total funding available

The total funding available for this competition is up to £2 million (Exc. VAT) and is expected to fund 5-10 proposals.

However, DASA reserves the right to fund one outstanding bid up to £2 million (Exc. VAT) that demonstrates value for money, provides high quality supporting evidence to deliver on the competition focus. Contracts will be awarded and must complete by end of March 2025 and a maximum of 18 months in duration (although proposals of shorter duration will also be accepted ).

For further guidance

Click here for more information on our competition process and how your proposal is assessed.

Queries should be sent to the DASA Help Centre – accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

7.1 What your proposal must include

• when submitting a proposal, you must complete all sections of the online form, including an appropriate level of technical information to allow assessment of the proposal and a completed finances section
• the proposal should focus on the competition requirements but must also include a brief (uncosted) outline of the next stages of work required for commercial exploitation
• completed proposals must comply with the financial rules set for this competition. There is no upper-limit for this competition but it is anticipated that £2 million (Exc. VAT) will fund 5-10 proposals. Proposals are expected to show evidence of value for money
• you must include a list of other current or recent government funding you may have received in this area if appropriate, making it clear how this proposal differs from this work
• a project plan with clear milestones and deliverables must be provided. Deliverables must be well defined and designed to provide evidence of progress against the project plan and the end-point for this phase; they must include a final report
• you should plan for in person attendance at a kick-off meeting at the start of the project, a mid-project event and an end of project event at the end at Dstl Porton Down. Monthly progress meetings (virtual) with the appointed Technical Partner and Project Manager will be required.
• your proposal must demonstrate how you will complete all activities/services and provide all deliverables within the competition timescales (projects to be completed by end of March 2025). Proposals with any deliverables (including final report) outside the competition timeline will be rejected as non-compliant

7.2 What your resourcing plan should include

Your resourcing plan must identify, where possible, the nationalities of proposed employees that you intend to work on this phase.

7.3 If your proposal is recommended for funding

In the event of a proposal being recommended for funding, the DASA reserves the right to undertake due diligence checks including the clearance of proposed employees. Please note that this process will take as long as necessary and could take up to 6 weeks in some cases for non-UK nationals.

You must identify any ethical / legal / regulatory factors within your proposal and how the associated risks will be managed, including break points in the project if approvals are not received.

MODREC approvals can take up to 5 months therefore you should plan your work programme accordingly. If you are unsure if your proposal will need to apply for MODREC approval, then please refer to the MODREC Guidance for Suppliers or contact your Innovation Partner for further guidance.

All proposals submitted that contain animal work will be reviewed by a Dstl veterinary surgeon and will be considered non-compliant without inclusion of appropriate information. For UK locations that are proposing use of animals under ASPA (Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986) as part of work under DASA, the location must demonstrate that they hold a Project Licence that covers the work proposed, and Establishment Licence for the location and Personal Licences for anyone carrying out the regulated procedures. International innovators proposing animal work under AAALAC should provide the equivalent documentation. For locations outside of the UK that do not have AAALAC, proposal assessment will need to include a Dstl veterinary surgeon making custom assessment of the location’s applicable national regulations, any other accreditations held by the location and the local governance systems for the location.

Requirements for access to Government Furnished Assets (GFA), for example, information, equipment, materials and facilities, may be included in your proposal. DASA cannot guarantee that GFA will be available. If you apply for GFA, you should include an alternative plan in case it is not available.

Failure to provide any of the above listed will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

7.4 Export control for overseas partners

All relevant export control regulations will apply if a company ultimately wants to sell a developed solution to a foreign entity. All innovators must ensure that they can obtain, if required, the necessary export licences for their proposals and developments, such that they can be supplied to the UK and other countries. If you cannot confirm that you can gain the requisite licences, your proposal will be sifted out of the competition.

Additionally, if we believe that you will not be able to obtain export clearance, additional checks may be conducted, which may also result in your proposal being sifted out of the competition.

7.5 Cyber risk assessment

Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ)

On receipt of a ‘Fund’ decision, successful suppliers must prove cyber resilience data before the contract is awarded. The start of this process is the submission of a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ allows suppliers to demonstrate compliance with the specified risk level and the corresponding profile in Def Stan 05-138, and the level of control required will depend on this risk level.

To expedite the contracting time of successful suppliers we ask all suppliers to complete the SAQ before they submit their proposal. The SAQ can be completed here using the DASA Risk Assessment RAR-878914112 and answer questions for risk level “Very Low”.

Defence Cyber Protection Partnership

The Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) will review your SAQ submission and respond with a reference number within 2 working days. The resulting email response from DCPP should be attached (JPG or PNG format) and included within the DASA submission service portal when the proposal is submitted. You will also be asked to enter your SAQ reference number. Please allow enough time to receive the SAQ reference number prior to competition close on 13 June 2023 at 12 midday (BST).

If the proposal is being funded, the SAQ will be evaluated against the CRA for the competition, and it will be put it into one of the following categories:

1. compliant – no further action
2. not compliant – if successful in competition and being funded, the innovator will be required to complete a Cyber Implementation Plan (CIP) before the contract is placed, which will need to be reviewed and agreed with the relevant project manager

Innovators can enter a proposal without all controls in place, but are expected to have all the cyber protection measures necessary to fulfil the requirements of the contract in place at the time of contract award, or have an agreed Cyber Implementation Plan (CIP).

The CIP provides evidence as to how and when potential innovators will achieve compliance. Provided the measures proposed in the Cyber Implementation Plan do not pose an unacceptable risk to the MOD, a submission with a Cyber Implementation Plan will be considered alongside those who can achieve the controls.

A final check will be made to ensure cyber resilience before the contract is placed. Commercial staff cannot progress without it. This process does not replace any contract specific security requirements.

Further guidance for completing this process can be requested by emailing the DASA Help Centre: accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

Additional information about cyber security can be found at: DCPP: Cyber Security Model industry buyer and supplier guide.

7.6 Public facing information

When submitting your proposal, you will be required to include a title and a short abstract. The title and abstract you provide will be used by DASA, and other government departments, to describe your project and its intended outcomes and benefits. They may be included at DASA events in relation to this competition and in documentation such as brochures. The proposal title will be published in the DASA transparency data on GOV.UK, along with your company name, the amount of funding, and the start and end dates of your contract. As this information can be shared, it should not contain information that may compromise Intellectual property.

7.7 How your proposal will be assessed

At Stage 1, all proposals will be checked for compliance with the competition document and may be rejected before full assessment if they do not comply. Only those proposals that demonstrate compliance against the competition scope and DASA mandatory criteria will be taken forward to full assessment.

Mandatory Criteria

The proposal outlines how it meets the scope of the competition	Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)
The proposal fully explains in all sections of the DASA submission service how it meets the DASA criteria	Pass / Fail
The proposal clearly details a financial plan, a project plan and a resourcing plan to complete the work proposed	Pass / Fail
The proposal identifies the need (or not) for MODREC approval	Pass / Fail
The proposal identifies the need (or not) for the appropriate licenses to work with animals	Pass / Fail
The proposal identifies any GFA required	Pass / Fail
The proposal demonstrates how all research and development activities / services (including delivery of the final report) will be completed by the end of March 2025 and a maximum of 18 months in duration.	Pass / Fail
The bidder has obtained the authority to provide unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Contract.	Pass / Fail

Proposals that pass Stage 1 will then be assessed against the standard DASA assessment criteria (Desirability, Feasibility and Viability) by subject matter experts from the MOD (including Dstl), other government departments, the front-line military commands and the NDA and NDA Group (using appropriate confidentiality agreements). You will not have the opportunity to view or comment on assessors’ recommendations.

DASA reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from innovators during the procurement process (including information identified by the innovator as Commercially Sensitive Information in accordance with the provisions of this competition) to any third party engaged by DASA for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting DASA in the evaluation of the innovator’s proposal. In providing such information the innovator consents to such disclosure. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place.

Further guidance on how your proposal is assessed is available on the DASA website here.

After assessment, proposals will be discussed internally at a Decision Conference where, based on the assessments, budget and wider strategic considerations, a decision will be made on the proposals that are recommended for funding.

Innovators are not permitted to attend the Decision Conference.

Proposals that are unsuccessful will receive brief feedback after the Decision Conference.

7.8 Things you should know about DASA contracts: DASA terms and conditions

Please read the DASA terms and conditions which contain important information for innovators. For this competition we will be using the Innovation Standard Contract (ISC), links to the contract: Terms and Conditions and Schedules. We will require unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions; if applicable, please ensure your commercial department has provided their acceptance.

Funded projects will be allocated a Project Manager (to run the project) and a Technical Partner (as a technical point of contact). In addition, the DASA team will work with you to support delivery and exploitation including, when appropriate, introductions to end-users and business support to help develop their business.

We will use deliverables from DASA contracts in accordance with our rights detailed in the contract terms and conditions.

For this competition, up to £2 million is currently available to fund proposals. There may be occasions when additional funding may become available to allow us to revisit proposals deemed suitable for funding. Therefore, DASA reserves the right to keep such proposals in reserve. In the event that additional funding becomes available, DASA may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms.

8. Competition key dates

Dial-in	Wednesday 3 May 2023
Competition closes	13 June 2023 at 12 midday (BST)
Feedback release	Tuesday 1 August 2023
Contracting	Aim to start in September and complete before the end of March 2025

9. Help: Contact the DASA Help Centre

Competition queries including on process, application, commercial, technical and intellectual property aspects should be sent to the DASA Help Centre at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, quoting the competition title. If you wish receive future updates on this competition, please email the DASA Help Centre.

While all reasonable efforts will be made to answer queries, DASA reserves the right to impose management controls if volumes of queries restrict fair access of information to all potential innovators.

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-augmentation-the-dawn-of-a-new-paradigm ↩

2. Generation-After-Next definition: A capability that does not presently exist and contributing technology is not fully understood. Concepts will be ‘leap ahead’ and world-leading to challenge the boundaries of current knowledge and emerging understanding ↩