Key Developments
On 21 April 2026, the HM Government announced UK Defence Innovation's Map the Gap Phase 3 competition, offering up to £2 million for remote and autonomous solutions to assess terrain stability and riverine conditions, aimed at enabling safe land-force movement and reducing personnel risk.
Key Statistics
- £2,000,000 total funding available for Map the Gap Phase 3
- 15-month delivery period specified for selected contracts
- 4 projects expected to receive awards under this phase
- Historical: £100,000 to £500,000 funding range per project in UKDI’s Biosecurity Frontiers competition
Main Body
On 21 April 2026, the HM Government confirmed that UK Defence Innovation had launched the Map the Gap (Phase 3) competition. The call sought proposals for technologies that remotely assess terrain stability and riverine measurements to ensure safe passage for land forces and cut risks to personnel through remote and autonomous systems, according to the government notice.
The government stated that the phase would fund solutions that generate rapid, reliable assessments of riverine conditions and ground stability to support planning and crossing operations. The notice set a 15‑month delivery period for contracts under the competition and indicated an expectation of around four funded projects, all focused on improving mobility assurance while keeping personnel at reduced exposure, according to the HM Government announcement.
This competition followed a series of UKDI calls using similar funding models. On 15 April 2026, the HM Government launched the Biosecurity Frontiers competition with up to £2 million available and per‑project awards between £100,000 and £500,000 to advance biodetection, AI-enabled diagnostics, and protective systems.
The launch underscored sustained UK focus on deployable, low-risk mobility solutions for land operations, which the government said aimed to ensure safe passage and reduce risks to personnel. It also reflected a wider European emphasis on defence readiness, as the European Commission invested €1.07 billion in 57 European Defence Fund projects in April. The move came amid sciencebusiness_news reporting on increased funding and procurement opportunities for defence start-ups across Europe.
