The Digital Security by Design (DSbD) Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) challenge aims to radically update the foundation of the UK’s insecure digital computing infrastructure by creating a new, more secure hardware and software 'ecosystem'.

Innovate UK (IUK) is investing ISCF funding in innovation projects to develop demonstrators of a product or service in which capability-enabled hardware will be used to provide a more secure solution. These demonstrators must showcase DSbD’s new security approach in a vertical industry segment(s) or in applications that may cut across several vertical industry segments.

'Capability enabled hardware' includes security features or safeguards that are built in the processor architecture and hardware system so that it becomes more secure in the face of a range of security vulnerabilities.

IUK has allocated up to £6 million to fund 2-3 industrial research demonstrator projects at the end of this two-phase competition. There is no funding available for this expression of interest (EoI) phase. Successful applicants in phase 1 will be invited to proceed to phase 2 and apply for funding. Each project’s total eligible costs must be between £1.5 million and £4 million.

The lead applicant must be a UK registered business of any size. The lead should collaborate with other UK registered businesses, research organisations, public sector organisations or charities. The project team must consist of at least two partners, including the lead organisation.

The deadline for applications is 26 May 2021 (11:00 BST).