Co-Creation Challenge

Co-Creation Challenges
HORIBA MIRA is part of a government framework which looks to reach out to industry in order to fund activity related to solving critical national security challenges. Please see the list of challenges below and get in touch if you think you can help to provide a complete solution or would like to connect with other industry partners and collaborate:
No.
Challenge Title
Open Date
Online Briefing Call
Clarifying questions published
Submission Dates
1
DNA removal to cut cross-contamination risk
28/07/2025
19/08/2025 @ 1000
10/09/2025
18/09/2025 @ 1700
2
Synthetic environment tools to predict behaviour
04/08/2025
26/08/2025 @1000
27/08/2025
04/09/2025 @1700
3
Development of advanced electromagnetic sensors
18/08/2025
09/09/2025
18/09/2025 @ 1700
DNA removal to cut cross-contamination risk
Summary of the challenge
Techniques to decontaminate forensics lab tools of biological traces are being sought in the latest challenge launched by HMGCC Co-Creation. The team are looking for effective solutions for cleaning DNA from tools, surfaces and instruments, used in forensic facilities and in the field, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination of DNA between items. In this challenge we want to explore the use of new or existing techniques and technologies to safely and effectively clean DNA. We welcome applicants not only from science disciplines, but from other parts of industry or academia, where abilities to clean items might exist.
Synthetic environment tools to predict behaviour
Summary of the challenge
Crisis contingency is about predicting people’s responses to threat or danger, to help keep them safe in the future. HMGCC Co-Creation’s latest challenge is seeking to evaluate tools that provide a synthetic environment to simulate how populations might respond to scenarios such as widespread disinformation or terrorism.
Development of advanced electromagnetic sensors
Summary of the challenge
The latest research into advanced radiofrequency (RF) sensing capabilities is being sought in a new challenge launched by HMGCC Co-Creation.
In this 16-week, funded project, applicants are invited to come forward if they have developed lab-based sensor technologies, including quantum sensors, operating in wide electromagnetic frequency ranges of at least 1MHz to 4GHz. The aim is to develop research to a prototype stage.
About HMGCC Co-Creation
His Majesty’s Government Communication Centre (HMGCC) work with the national security community, UK government, academia, private sector partners and international allies to bring engineering ingenuity to the national security mission,
HMGCC Co-Creation is a partnership between HMGCC and Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), created to deliver a new, bold and innovative way of working with the wider UK science and technology community. We bring together the best in class across industry, academia, and government, to work collaboratively on national security engineering challenges and accelerate innovation.
HMGCC Co-Creation aim to work collaboratively with the successful solution providers by utilising in-house delivery managers working Agile by default. This process will involve access to HMGCC Co-Creation’s technical expertise and facilities to bring a product to market more effectively than traditional customer-supplier relationships.
Terms and Conditions for Challenge Applicants – Click Here
What are Co-Creation Spaces?
Co-Creation Spaces bring together key public and private sector parties to foster open and collaborative development of high-impact, user-driven technology solutions around a cross-cutting theme critical to national security, at a pace and scale that could not otherwise be achieved. HMGCC does not directly task or fund the Co-Creation Spaces or the projects within them. HMGCC does provide the partnerships and enablers under which Co-Creation can thrive. In return, Co-Creation Spaces provide HMGCC with a practical outlet for our core work, allowing us to develop cross-cutting capabilities, test concepts and develop best practice in Co-Creation that will be fed back into the Co-Creation Spaces and to wider partners.
Get In Touch
If you would like to get more info or join our mailing list to be sent the latest challenges as soon as they are released, please send an email with all of your contact details to: [email protected]
Previous Challenges
No.
Challenge Title
Open Date
Submission Dates
1
Compact, low-cost GNSS simulator
07/07/2025
07/08/2025 @ 1700
2
Data logging in extreme temperatures
23/06/2025
3
Surveillance challenge using edge AI
28/04.2025
29/05/2025
4
Tracking solution for alternative position, navigation and timing (PNT).
14/04/2025
15/05/2025
5
Miniaturised detectors sought to spot drones
03/02/2025
20/02/2025
6
Rapidly deployed tech to track intruders
18/11/2024
19/12/2024
7
Cutting eavesdropping risks using AI
10/10/2024
24/10/2024
8
Scalable Phone
10/10/2024
07/11/2024
9
Challenge set to find secure speech solutions
16/09/2024
24/10/2024
10
Assurance of printed circuit boards using machine vision
15/07/2024
29/08/2024