UK innovation agency Connected Places Catapult has opened applications for the High Assurance Detection Systems (HADeS) 2026 program, which seeks new airport security technologies.
Led by the Catapult on behalf of the Department for Transport, HADeS 2026 is focused on improving alarm resolution and developing operating concepts for checkpoint security screening.
Up to £500k (US$670k) is being made available via a government grant funding agreement. Successful applicants will also get access to specialists from the Catapult and Department for Transport, as well as a wider network of experts in the field via the Aviation Security Innovation Programme (ASIP) Cluster.
Funding is available across two tracks, depending on the maturity level of each solution: 1) emerging security solutions, where innovators are encouraged to explore the feasibility of an idea; 2) evolving security solutions, where the focus is on demonstrating technology in a test setting.
For Track 1, up to £40,000 (US$53,600) funding is available per project. This track focuses on exploring whether an idea could work in principle. Applying for this track could involve background research, stakeholder input, early-stage modeling, simple testing or a combination of the above.
Meanwhile, up to £75,000 (US$1m) funding is available for each Track 2 project. This track concentrates on building and testing early-stage prototypes in controlled or simulated environments.
For HADeS 2026, the goal is to create alarm resolution solutions that can reduce instances of primary alarms having to be manually checked. Within this, there are three sub-areas in which this goal is to be achieved: threat detection, interoperability and optimization. Applications may cover one or more of these sub-areas. Threat detection capabilities should reflect an increased range of threat materials that can be detected by cabin baggage screening under the new detection standards being developed by the Technology Alignment Group (TAG).
Prospective applicants have until June 19 to apply via the Catapult’s website.
HADeS 2025 saw a cohort of six companies supported to advance their technologies, with most progressing to Technology Readiness Level 6 – technology model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment.
Related: OPINION: Securely connecting the checkpoint of the future
