Notice

Disruptive Science and Technology Impacting the Future of Defence: Assessment Criteria

Updated 4 October 2022

Desirable

DASA funds innovations that solve defence and security challenges. You should look out for things like the proposal’s alignment with a strategic need or challenge and who would benefit from the innovation. Ideas that are useful for both defence and security should be acknowledged.

Under this category, proposals should be assessed on:

Defence compatibility

• the proposal shows benefit across a range of relevant future defence scenarios

Disruptive potential

• the proposal is clear on the technological challenge or future scenario (opportunity or threat) driving the innovation

• the proposal describes how the impact for defence is disruptive or game changing in terms of performance, time and cost

End user interest

• the proposal identifies who could benefit from the innovation, if successful

Feasible

You are asked to consider whether the proposal is scientifically, technically and practically feasible within reason, how innovative the idea is, and how it compares with potential alternatives. A clear and logical plan, backed by relevant expertise, capability and appropriate resources needs to be present.

Under this category, proposals should be assessed on:

Technical approach

• the proposal is scientifically, technically and practically feasible

• the proposal has a method for measuring progress and performance to improve the assessment of potential disruptiveness

• the proposal outlines how it will assess how future geopolitical, economic and environmental changes may impact on the evaluation of the concept / idea

Innovation and risk

• the proposal assesses how the solution compares to alternative ideas / concepts in terms of time, cost and performance

• the proposal assesses and provides mitigations for technical risks

Expertise and capability

• the proposal provides evidence of the team’s relevant expertise and experience in the technical area of the innovation, including background research and projects completed

• the proposal provides evidence of the resources available to the team to deliver the project including facilities and labour

Viable

You should assess for evidence that the idea can be delivered within the project scope and timelines.

Look for evidence of a robust project plan which identifies any links or dependencies between work packages and milestones, and which clearly identifies measurable deliverables. We are looking at overall costs and value for money.

Under this category, proposals should be assessed on:

Project delivery

• the proposal has a project plan in sufficient detail and identifies any links or dependencies between work packages and/or milestones

• the proposal identifies any project risks or dependencies and has identified appropriate mitigations

Costs and value for money

• the proposal provides detail on the total project cost, and the profiling of spend across milestones as outlined in the deliverables section of the competition document

• the proposal provides information on any additional funding or in-kind support that has been or is being provided by anyone other than the proposer

• the proposal explains what would happen to the innovation if it were not publicly funded

• the proposal describes the benefit and value for money for government, and also explains any wider value to the UK economy

Plan beyond the project

• the proposal explains what tests, accreditation, trials would be necessary to take the project forward on completion of the project

• the proposal considers how the outcomes could be integrated into future systems and capabilities or outlines the solution that it would be replacing and why