In the next stage of the Innovation Autonomy Challenge, £3m has been invested through the Defence and Security Accelerator as part of the MOD’s Innovation Initiative. Focusing on the challenging 'last mile' of support, this Challenge aims to find innovative new ways of resupplying troops on the front line, and will be led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). 

Every year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) spends £19bn with UK industry. It is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and is the single largest customer for UK industry. The MoD has a huge range of contracts, from utility services to aircraft carrier projects, which companies win through tendering processes.