DIANA — Challenge Call

• The applicant must be a company, providing legal name, place of registration, headquarters, ownership/control attestations, and a DUNS/UEI number.
• Early-stage start-ups or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited defence and security experience are particularly encouraged, but all companies meeting the basic criteria may apply.
• The proposed technology or product should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above, though lower TRL solutions with disruptive potential or higher TRL solutions requiring adaptation will also be considered.
• The applicant must agree to the terms and conditions of the DIANA Challenge Programme's competitive selection process.

Who is eligible?

• Start-ups developing innovative technologies
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with dual-use technology solutions
• Established private companies within NATO member countries that meet eligibility requirements

Who is not eligible

• Universities and non-profit groups.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies located in NATO member states (across the NATO Alliance).

• Step 1: Review Challenge StatementsExamine the ten challenge areas for the current DIANA Challenge Call to identify the most relevant topic for your innovation.
• Step 2: Prepare Proposal ContentGather business identification information, including legal name, registration details, headquarters, and DUNS/UEI number.
• Complete the Short Form Proposal (Quad Chart) focused on the technical solution.
• Prepare the Long Form Proposal, including technical, dual-use, adoption potential, and commercial viability information.
• Step 3: Submit ProposalCarefully follow the provided submission instructions and use the concise proposal templates provided by DIANA.
• Submit your proposal by the specified deadline (e.g., 11 July, 2025, 12:00 UTC).
• Step 4: Short Form Proposal EvaluationWait for DIANA evaluators to score all eligible short form proposals against technical criteria, including alignment with the challenge, validity, feasibility, dual-use potential, and coherence.
• Step 5: Long Form Proposal Submission and EvaluationIf invited, submit a Long Form Proposal for further review.
• The long form proposal will be evaluated based on technical, defence and security, commercial and adoption, and general criteria.
• Step 6: Virtual Panel SessionIf shortlisted, prepare and deliver a live presentation of your proposal to an evaluation panel comprising technical, defence/security, and commercial experts.
• Step 7: Receive Outcome NotificationAwait official communication from DIANA regarding the outcome of your application.

• The proposed strategic axes and challenges are specifically defined according to the needs of the Alliance and express a context of dual-use (civil and defense).
• The call explicitly encourages the submission of innovative technological solutions that exceed the provided examples.
• The selection of projects will be guided by principles of responsible innovation to promote the ethical and accountable development of technologies.
• Market and growth data demonstrate that the sought solutions aim for integration into markets with high commercial potential and civil/military impact.