Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is working with the Department for Transport (DfT) to invest up to GBP 3 million in new beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) innovation projects, the UK government announced on May 12.
The projects will demonstrate progress towards commercialisation or achievement of routine BVLOS operations with the aim of accelerating the development of the UK drone sector, creating growth and meeting the objectives of the DfT’s Future of Flight programme.
To be successful, the projects must deliver either tangible outcomes in new use cases previously at a demonstration phase, or scaling up of existing commercial use cases; or tangible developments in support of the regulatory policy concepts, or concepts of operation being developed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to enable Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).
Proposals do not have to include aircraft flights but if they do then these need to be performable within existing regulatory approvals or demonstrate very clear understanding of how this will be achievable within the project duration.
Each project’s total eligible grant funding request must be between GBP 250,000 and 500,000.
This competition closes on June 11.
For more information
Future Flight: Strategic Growth competition
Image: Shutterstock
