Participation is a minimum requirement for those looking to win UK Home Office C-UAS contracts.

Several UK Government departments launched a joint call for fully-developed counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions on 13 January.  

The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) – which is part of MI5, the UK’s domestic Security Service – has issued a call for expressions of interest (EOIs), inviting suppliers to participate in its 2026 C-UAS ‘Equipment Evaluations’ initiative. 

Specifically, the call asks for C-UAS detection, track, and identification solutions at technological readiness level eight and above. 

Interested suppliers must submit their EOI by 30 January.  

As the UK’s national authority for protective security, NPSA provides independent, operationally informed evaluations of C-UAS capability. Participation in the NPSA’s equipment evaluations is regarded as a minimum requirement for Home Office C-UAS purchases. This includes sub-departments such as policing, and the protection of government buildings and critical infrastructure. 

Speaking about this requirement, the NPSA cited an anonymous government security official, who explained that “we only procure systems we understand. Participation in NPSA evaluations gives us confidence in capability and reliability”.  

The agency says that the evaluation will support suppliers in “accelerating product development” and strengthen “performance credibility”, while giving buyers a credible way to validate capabilities. 

Successful applicants will deploy their systems at a live NSPA test site, where they will undergo “measurable test scenarios” to demonstrate the efficacy of their systems.  

Following this, the systems will be included in the NPSA’s approved ‘Catalogue of Security Equipment’ and the vendors will receive a full evaluation of their products and gain insight into end-user operational requirements.