Safe to Breathe: New competition for rapid toxic gas detection innovation
UKDI seeks technologies that can rapidly detect toxic gases and provide early warning in busy public spaces
- UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has launched a new Themed Competition called Rapid Detection of Toxic Gases: Phase 2
- Open to UK and US registered organisations undertaking project work in the UK and/or the US
- This Themed Competition is run on behalf of the Home Office (HO) and the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
- A minimum of £1 million is available for funding (excluding VAT)
- Competition uses a 2-stage submission process
- Stage 1 submissions close at midday on 10 December 2026 (GMT)
UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition called Rapid Detection of Toxic Gases: Phase 2. Run on behalf of the Home Office (HO) and National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), the competition seeks innovative technologies that can rapidly detect toxic gases and provide an early warning when unsafe concentrations are present in busy public spaces.
The competition is focused on improving public safety by enabling earlier detection of toxic gas releases in enclosed and semi-enclosed environments. These releases may occur through accident, equipment failure or malicious activity, and can develop more quickly than existing safety procedures are able to respond.
This competition will use a 2-stage submission process designed to reduce the burden on applicants and assessors. Stage 1 provides an initial innovation screening process where applicants outline their concept and technical approach. Successful applicants will then be invited to Stage 2 to submit a full proposal. Technical experts from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will support with assessing proposals for this competition.
Learn more about the 2-stage process in the Competition Document.
Background
The rapid release of toxic gas in busy public environments can pose significant health, safety and security challenges. Defence and security partners are seeking new technological approaches that can provide an early warning of dangerous gas concentrations, helping organisations act before significant harm occurs.
Current and emerging threats require detection technologies that can operate reliably in complex, active environments with minimal maintenance requirements and a low rate of false alarms. There is also interest in solutions capable of integrating with wider intelligent surveillance and facility management systems, whilst minimising both false positive and false negative detections.
Phase 1 of this competition helped develop promising toxic gas detection concepts to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. This Phase 2 competition seeks to advance those concepts to at least TRL 6 through prototype development and demonstration.
What we are seeking
We are seeking innovative proposals that can develop and demonstrate technologies capable of rapidly detecting multiple toxic gases and alerting users to potentially dangerous atmospheric conditions.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their technology is already at a minimum of TRL 4 and provide a credible route to achieving at least TRL 6 during the project.
Solutions should demonstrate how they will develop a sensor or detection capability that:
- can detect more than one toxic gas
- can provide an alarm within 30 seconds of unsafe toxic gas concentrations being reached
- can operate with minimal human intervention or maintenance
- can function in enclosed and semi-enclosed environments
- is effective in busy locations with background activity such as pedestrian or vehicle movement
- is suitably sized for deployment in public environments
- can be networked and communicate detection signals to external systems
- offers a credible path to deployment in defence and security applications
We are particularly interested in technologies capable of detecting a wide range of toxic gases. Novel approaches are encouraged, including technologies beyond commonly used gas detection techniques, although innovative applications of existing technologies remain in scope.
Solutions may comprise individual detectors or networks of sensors, provided they contribute to the rapid identification of hazardous atmospheres and support decision-making during an incident.
Learn about the full requirements in the Competition Document.
Supporting activities
A Slido Questions Service is available for one week following competition launch, giving innovators the opportunity to submit technical questions to the competition team.
Responses will be collated and published as clarifications on the competition webpage.
Non-technical questions about the competition process should be directed to the UKDI Help Centre.
Please ensure you have read the Competition Document fully before submitting a question on Slido.
Submit a proposal
If you have an innovative capability that could improve the rapid detection of toxic gases and help protect people in busy public spaces, head to the Competition Document and submit your idea.
Stage 1 submissions must be submitted through the UKDI Online Submission Service by midday on 10 December 2026 (GMT). Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full Stage 2 proposal.