CfI: Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) - Call 1

The CfI: Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) – Call 1 competition is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation connectivity solutions that can be tested and deployed in real-world environments. Delivered through Innovate UK and funded by DSIT, this programme supports the creation of practical, near-term innovations that strengthen the UK’s position in global telecoms and digital infrastructure.

Unlike traditional grants, this is a Contracts for Innovation competition, meaning organisations receive procurement contracts to develop and demonstrate solutions. This provides a strong pathway to commercialisation, enabling businesses to validate their technologies in real environments and establish early market traction.

Scope of the Competition
Projects must focus on developing deployable prototypes that address key challenges in connectivity and network performance.

Your project must:

• Develop near-term, testable solutions with clear real-world applications
• Deliver prototypes or demonstrators on UK testbeds or in operational environments
• Show measurable improvements in performance such as reliability, security or energy efficiency
• Demonstrate a credible route to adoption by network operators, vendors or public sector users

Projects are expected to move beyond concept stage and demonstrate clear readiness for deployment and commercialisation.

Key Focus Areas
Projects must align with one of the two Grand Challenge areas:

• Secure and resilient networks, focusing on improving reliability, security and network autonomy
• Sustainable networks, reducing environmental impact while improving performance

Within these, projects may explore areas such as:

• AI-enabled network resilience and automation
• Integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks
• Reducing energy consumption in network infrastructure
• Improving spectrum efficiency and access

Solutions should combine hardware and software innovation and demonstrate clear use cases and market potential.