What is NATO DIANA, and why does it matter?

DIANA, the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, exists because innovation is now a strategic imperative for the Alliance. Its mandate is to identify and scale dual-use technologies that address real defence and security challenges, and to do that at pace.

For innovators, what that translates to is €100,000 in non-dilutive Phase 1 funding, access to over 200 test centres across Allied nations, expert mentorship, defence market connections and a six-month accelerator beginning in January 2027. For companies that demonstrate the strongest defence alignment and operational relevance, there is Phase 2, known as Mission Track, a follow-on programme offering an additional €300,000 and six months of tailored support designed to move solutions from promising technology to operational adoption at scale.

The six 2027 challenge areas

NATO DIANA is seeking dual-use solutions across six priority areas, each reflecting a specific operational problem the Alliance is trying to address.

1. Human Survivability. NATO operations increasingly place personnel in austere, contested environments where injury, physiological strain and cognitive degradation accumulate over time, while specialist care and evacuation are delayed or denied entirely. DIANA is looking for integrated, scalable solutions that protect individuals, detect degradation early and sustain human performance under those conditions.
2. Multidomain Autonomy of Uncrewed Systems. Today’s uncrewed systems too often operate as isolated platforms with limited autonomy and unreliable communications. What DIANA wants to see is trusted, scalable multidomain autonomy that enables uncrewed and crewed platforms to work together seamlessly across air, land, maritime and space domains.
3. Multidomain Sensing and Advanced Data Processing for Intelligence and Surveillance. Fragmented sensor networks, degraded communications and environments defined by congestion, interference and concealment constrain what NATO can see and know. Solutions that improve how data is sensed, transferred, integrated and exploited are central to this challenge.
4. Operational Resilience in Contested Environments. Adversaries are actively disrupting sensing, communications and navigation through cyber attacks, electromagnetic spectrum interference and GNSS denial. DIANA is seeking practical, interoperable solutions that keep forces mobile and situationally aware even when connectivity and assured navigation cannot be assumed.
5. Responsive Logistics. Long, linear supply chains are fragile, and the disruptions that expose that fragility including extreme weather, infrastructure degradation, cyber interference and contested access are becoming more frequent and more severe. DIANA wants smart, interoperable logistic mobility solutions that sustain endurance and freedom of action in dynamic environments.
6. Scalable and Adaptable Countermeasures for Air Defence. Massed combinations of low-cost unmanned systems, missiles and loitering munitions are stretching current countermeasures to their limits. DIANA is looking for modular, scalable, data-integrated solutions that protect forces, command posts, logistics hubs and key infrastructure.

Noting that the technology examples listed under each challenge are illustrative, not exhaustive. They exist to show the kinds of operational capability DIANA is seeking, not to define the boundaries of what qualifies.

What evaluators are looking for

Every application is scored independently by a panel of reviewers before a moderation session where scores are aligned and differences resolved. Shortlisted applicants are then invited to pitch or interview, with final selections approved by the DIANA Board of Directors.

Evaluators assess across five areas: Technology Readiness and Innovation, Alignment to Challenge Requirements, Dual-Use Potential, Organisation and Team and Scalability and Interoperability.

Criteria is only part of it. What Michal was clear about is that the applications which stand out go beyond describing a technology and instead explain the operational problem it solves, the gap it addresses and the pathway to the end user. Evaluators are not just looking for impressive technology. They are looking for companies that understand the defence context they are entering and can articulate why their solution matters within it.

The mistakes that hold applications back

The most common mistake that holds applications back is having a vague challenge alignment. Applying across multiple challenge areas without depth in any or describing a broad technology without anchoring it to a specific operational contribution. Pick one challenge area, understand it deeply and make a clear, specific case for why your solution fits.

Overclaiming technology maturity is another recurring problem. Inflating your TRL, Technology Readiness Level, without supporting evidence or prior test data raises immediate questions about credibility. If your solution brings together components at different readiness levels, be transparent and specific about each one rather than presenting a single number that does not hold up to scrutiny.

A weak defence case is equally damaging as dual-use is an eligibility requirement. Your application needs to make a clear, credible case for how your technology addresses a specific defence problem with a novel capability. If that case is vague or underdeveloped, it will not progress.

Finally, the basics matter more than people think. Missing your DUNS number, leaving mandatory fields unanswered or submitting unclear financial information are avoidable mistakes that create unnecessary risk. NATO DIANA no longer accepts UEI numbers, so applicants must ensure their DUNS registration is in order before they submit.

What the NATO DIANA programme feels like

Nicolas Calvelo from JET Connectivity and Sarah Gregory from Slipstream Design joined the sessions to give a different kind of insight, not what the application requires but what happens after you get in.

JET Connectivity was founded as a communications provider. They pivoted into defence, applied to NATO DIANA, were not selected, reapplied and were eventually chosen from over 3,600 applicants. They have now completed Phase 1 of the programme and have been selected to participate in Phase 2, Mission Track, where solutions move closer to operational adoption within NATO. What Nicolas described is a programme that moves fast and expects a lot. Within the first month, JET had pitched to over 150 people. The clusters are intensive; the peer community spans early-stage startups to established companies bringing new products to market and the connections to defence markets and end users are real.

Slipstream Design responded to the Contested Electromagnetic Environments challenge and was placed on Janus, the UK Accelerator for NATO DIANA. Sarah described a programme that pushed the team to get specific: it helped them study the challenges on offer, identify the one that genuinely mapped to what they were building and be precise about what they were creating, why and how it fits with existing technology systems. She called it a complete eye-opener that gave Slipstream a much deeper understanding of how their own technology operates and access to a wide range of test centres to properly test and evaluate it. The mentorship received at the UK Accelerator site stood out too.

Sarah was paired with one mentor from a defence background and one from a business background and singled out a one-on-one session with Steve Blank as a highlight. Slipstream is now likely on a different track to where they thought they would be when they started.

Final advice to potential 2027 innovators

Michal, Nicolas and Sarah ended their sessions with advice for those looking to apply.

Michal’s closing words were simple. Remember to ask yourself: why you, and what makes you novel and innovative? Take that mindset into your application and you will find your way in, whether that is through a fellow innovator or a prime. Pick apart the use cases you think are airtight. A genuine capability change, or a highly specific application of what your company does. That is what gets noticed.

Nicolas was equally direct: show up, get involved and be ready to move fast. The companies that get the most out of DIANA are the ones that treat every moment in the room as an opportunity.

Sarah’s advice was practical: don’t assume the programme is location-bound, think about how you could field your team in a different country, such as Canada, for a week each month, if that’s what it calls for. She also pointed to the cohort itself, the relationships built with fellow founders and the mix of backgrounds in the room from early-stage startups to academic teams years into their research, as some of the most valuable parts of the experience.

Ready to apply?

Applications close on 3 July at 12:00 BST. Apply here: www.diana.nato.int/challenges.html