Advanced Integrated Technologies Ltd (AiT) is using open innovation to identify technologies capable of delivering resilient communications, navigation and mission-data connectivity for persistent autonomous aircraft operating at high altitude.
Selected solution providers will have the opportunity to work with AiT to develop and evaluate their technology against a defined high-altitude aerospace use case, with the potential for integration into the STRATIS development programme and wider commercial collaboration. A selected solution provider may also be eligible to apply for Innovate UK funding to undertake a focused development and demonstration project.


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Advanced Integrated Technologies Ltd (AiT) is a UK aerospace and defence engineering company with capabilities spanning advanced composites, RF structures, electromechanical systems, autonomous platforms, aerospace integration, analysis and testing.
AiT is developing STRATIS, a recoverable, persistent high-altitude autonomous aircraft intended to operate at approximately 60,000&ndash;70,000 ft for extended-duration missions. The platform is being developed for dual-use applications including persistent communications, surveillance and sensing, environmental observation, maritime awareness, infrastructure monitoring and specialist defence missions.
Operation at these altitudes and for extended periods introduces communications and navigation challenges that differ materially from conventional short-duration UAV operations. A persistent aircraft must retain dependable command and control, positional awareness and mission-data connectivity while moving through different communications environments and potentially operating hundreds of kilometres from its supporting ground infrastructure.
Future STRATIS operations may also involve more than one aircraft and require controlled transfer of communications or mission functions between aircraft without interruption to the service being delivered.
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AiT is therefore seeking technologies from communications, aerospace, telecommunications, autonomous systems, PNT, RF, software and related sectors that could address this requirement. Technologies developed originally for other applications are explicitly welcomed where they can be adapted to the high-altitude aerospace environment.

Background

The challenge is to develop or adapt a resilient communications, navigation and mission-connectivity capability suitable for integration into a persistent autonomous aircraft operating at approximately 60,000&ndash;70,000 ft.
The system must enable dependable command and control of the aircraft while also supporting navigation information and the transfer of mission and payload data. It should be capable of managing multiple available communications or navigation sources intelligently and maintaining service where an individual link or source becomes degraded, disrupted or unavailable.
A particular area of interest is seamless transition or handover between communications links, networks, ground stations or cooperating aircraft, allowing persistent operations to continue without unacceptable interruption. Solutions should minimise aircraft mass, electrical-power consumption and integration burden. AiT is interested both in complete architectures and in enabling technologies capable of forming part of a wider resilient communications and navigation architecture.
Potential approaches might include, but are not limited to, software-defined or adaptive communications, resilient networking, intelligent spectrum management, alternative or complementary PNT, edge processing, autonomous link management, multi-path communications and innovative antenna technologies. These examples are illustrative only; AiT does not wish to prescribe the technical solution.
Solutions should ideally be at TRL 4 or above at the point of application, or demonstrate a credible pathway to an integrated prototype capable of representative testing during the funded development programme. The technology should be capable of progressing to representative ground or flight testing within approximately 12&ndash;18 months of the challenge and should demonstrate a credible route towards a commercially deployable aerospace solution within approximately 2&ndash;3 years. Technologies originating in non-aerospace sectors are welcomed where their applicability to the operating environment can be demonstrated.
The selected solution provider will be eligible to apply for up to &pound;60,000 of Innovate UK funding to develop the proposed solution towards meeting this challenge. The funding will cover a maximum three-month development project, the detailed scope and deliverables of which will be refined with Advanced Integrated Technologies Ltd as the Challenge Holder.

The Challenge

<ul>
<li>Provide resilient command-and-control connectivity suitable for a persistent autonomous aircraft.</li>
<li>Support transfer of aircraft, navigation, system-health and mission/payload data.</li>
<li>Support operation at approximately 60,000&ndash;70,000 ft.</li>
<li>Provide a means of maintaining or rapidly recovering connectivity following degradation or loss of a primary communications path.</li>
<li>Support automatic or managed transition between alternative communications paths or services.</li>
<li>Be capable of forming part of a multi-aircraft architecture, including transfer or handover of communications services between cooperating aircraft.</li>
<li>Minimise size, weight, power consumption and aircraft integration burden.</li>
<li>Be capable of integration with an autonomous flight and mission-management architecture.</li>
<li>Offer a credible route towards aerospace-qualified or operationally suitable hardware and software.</li>
<li>Be scalable beyond a single experimental installation and capable of supporting future production aircraft.</li>
</ul>

Functional Requirements

Operate within a low-size, weight and power architecture appropriate to a lightweight long-endurance aircraft; provide defined digital interfaces for command, status and mission information; support integration with aircraft flight-control and mission-management systems; provide link/status monitoring and appropriate loss-of-link information; support automatic or software-controlled selection between available communications or navigation sources; support secure communications architectures; provide resilience against interference, congestion, individual link failure or reduced GNSS availability; and provide sufficient technical data to allow performance to be assessed during ground and representative flight testing.
A target architecture should ultimately support useful mission-data throughput while preserving a highly reliable command-and-control channel. AiT is more interested at this stage in resilience, continuity and intelligent management of connectivity than in maximising raw data rate.
Key words: 
Resilient Communications Autonomous Aircraft Navigation / PNT Mission Connectivity High-Altitude Platforms

Technical Requirements

The solution should be capable of operating, or demonstrate a credible development pathway to operation, in the environmental conditions experienced by an aircraft operating from ground level to approximately 70,000 ft.
Considerations include low atmospheric pressure and density, low ambient temperatures, thermal cycling, solar exposure, vibration, electromagnetic compatibility, aircraft movement and extended continuous operation.
The architecture should be suitable for autonomous operation without routine physical intervention during flight and should tolerate individual communications or navigation services becoming temporarily degraded or unavailable.
Representative development testing may initially be undertaken in laboratory, hardware-in-the-loop, ground or lower-altitude flight environments before progression towards high-altitude demonstration.

Operating Conditions

The following are outside the primary scope of this challenge:
Development of the STRATIS airframe, propulsion system or primary energy system; complete replacement of the aircraft flight-control system; development of payload sensors unrelated to the communications/navigation requirement; solutions dependent upon a single communications or navigation source with no credible resilience mechanism; technologies requiring mass or continuous electrical power incompatible with a lightweight long-endurance aircraft; and solutions that cannot demonstrate a credible pathway towards safe integration into an autonomous aerospace platform.
The challenge is not seeking development of a new satellite constellation or major terrestrial communications infrastructure. Existing infrastructure may, however, form part of a proposed solution.

Out of Scope

No fixed production unit cost is prescribed at this stage. Solutions must, however, demonstrate a credible pathway towards an economically viable production system appropriate for deployment across multiple aircraft. Applicants should identify anticipated development costs, recurring system costs and any dependence on third-party infrastructure, subscriptions or service charges.
The selected solution provider is expected to undertake a focused funded development project within the Innovation Exchange funding limits.

Cost Requirement

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their proposed solution to Advanced Integrated Technologies Ltd and Innovate UK Business Connect. A selected solution provider may subsequently be eligible to apply for Innovate UK grant funding to undertake a focused development and demonstration project.
The selected technology will have the opportunity to be evaluated against the STRATIS high-altitude autonomous aircraft requirement, with potential progression towards prototype integration, ground testing and representative flight evaluation.
Subject to successful technical demonstration and subsequent commercial agreement, the technology could become part of the STRATIS aircraft architecture or wider AiT autonomous aerospace developments.
The commercial opportunity is not limited to STRATIS. Technologies capable of providing resilient communications, PNT and mission connectivity at low size, weight and power may have wider applications across unmanned aircraft, future air systems, maritime systems, distributed sensing networks, communications infrastructure and defence.
The successful applicant may also benefit from support from Innovate UK Business Connect, technical engagement with AiT, development of a prototype or pilot, potential commercial collaboration, investor introductions where appropriate and identification of relevant future innovation funding opportunities.

Rewards & Market Opportunity

<ul>
<li>Challenge launch: 5th October 2026</li>
<li>Deadline for applications: Friday 6th November 2026</li>
<li>Review of applicants: Monday 9th &ndash; Friday 13th November 2026</li>
<li>Selection and notification of finalists: Friday 13th &ndash; Tuesday 17th November 2026</li>
<li>Pitch Day: Wednesday 25th November - Wednesday &nbsp;3rd December 2026</li>
<li>Confirm selected solution provider: By Friday 4th December 2026</li>
<li>Submission to Innovation Funding Service (IFS): December 2026</li>
<li>Project length: 3-months. (Starting by 1st March 2027 and complete no later than 31st May 2027)</li>
</ul>

Timescales

Entrants to this competition must be:
<ul>
<li>Established businesses, academic institutions, start-ups, SMEs, or individual entrepreneurs</li>
<li>UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base</li>
</ul>
Your project must:
<ul>
<li>Have a grant funding request up to &pound;60,000 (eligible costs only, see below).</li>
<li>Start 1st March 2027 and complete by 31st May 2027</li>
<li>Carry out its project work in the UK.</li>
<li>Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.</li>
</ul>
Applications will be assessed on:
<ul>
<li>Relevance to the defined challenge</li>
<li>Benefit of implementation</li>
<li>Feasibility/economic viability</li>
<li>Innovative nature</li>
<li>Ability to launch in line with expected timescales</li>
<li>Credibility of applicant company</li>
<li>Coherence of the proposed business model</li>
<li>Development potential</li>
<li>Maturity of the solution</li>
<li>Suitability for the intended geographic market</li>
</ul>
If selected through this competition, you will be invited to apply for up to &pound;60,000 grant funding through the Innovation Funding Service (IFS). Applicants will need to upload the following documents to IFS once notified:
<ul>
<li>Project plan</li>
<li>Project costing</li>
<li>Minimal Financial Assistance (and de minimis where applicable) declaration (details can be found <a href="https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/general-guidance/funding-rules/">here</a>)</li>
</ul>
Minimal Financial Assistance:
Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to &pound;315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period. If your application is successful and you are invited to apply for grant funding you will be asked to declare previous funding received by you. This will form part of the financial checks ahead of Innovate UK making a formal grant offer.

Eligibility & Assessment Criteria

Advanced Integrated Technologies Ltd does not require applicants to transfer ownership of their pre-existing background IP as a condition of entering the challenge. Any foreground IP, integration IP, licence rights, exclusivity arrangements or future commercial exploitation arising from a funded development project will be agreed between AiT and the selected solution provider before commencement of the relevant development actvity.

IP & Commercial Route

The application form for this challenge will require applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions &ndash; Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property &ndash; each with a limit of 300 words.
Additionally, the following documents must be attached for your application to be considered:
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Project plan</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Project costings &ndash; only eligible costs will be funded; please read the Innovate UK Costs guidance for further information.</li>
</ul>
We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits.
Please ensure that you toggle &ldquo;Stage Complete&rdquo; for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked &ldquo;Submit Idea&rdquo; at the bottom of the Summary page.

Application & Technical Guidance

By submitting an application to this Innovation Exchange (iX) challenge, you acknowledge and agree that the information you provide will be shared with Innovate UK Business Connect and the challenge holder for the purposes of assessment and selection. All information submitted will be handled in confidence and shared only with those involved in the assessment and selection process under appropriate confidentiality expectations.
Please consider the level of detail you share in your submission to ensure it aligns with your own internal confidentiality or disclosure policies.
A selected panel of assessors will review and score your application. The panel of assessors will meet and agree a consensus score. Successful solutions will be selected by the challenge holder. Success will be based upon total consensus scores, a portfolio approach and capacity within the challenge holder&rsquo;s organisation to carry out the projects.
For more information on how Innovate UK Business Connect handles personal data, please refer to our&nbsp;<a href="https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/privacy-policy/" target="_new">Privacy Policy</a>.

Resilient High-Altitude Communications, Navigation and Mission Connectivity for Persistent Autonomous Aircraft

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Resilient High-Altitude Communications, Navigation and Mission Connectivity for Persistent Autonomous Aircraft