NATO DIANA 2027 Challenges and Application Process
Supporting Dual-Use Innovation for NATO, Allied Security, and Defence Readiness
The NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, known as NATO DIANA, is one of the most important international opportunities for companies developing dual-use technologies. DIANA connects innovators with NATO’s defence and security ecosystem, helping startups and small and medium-sized enterprises test, refine, and commercialize technologies that can serve both civilian and defence applications.
The 2027 NATO DIANA Challenge Call is focused on urgent security and defence needs across the Alliance. Companies with strong technologies, credible teams, and clear dual-use potential can apply to become DIANA Innovators and join the NATO DIANA Accelerator Programme starting in January 2027.
For technology companies, this is more than a funding opportunity. It is a pathway to NATO-aligned validation, defence-market exposure, access to testing facilities, investor networks, and potential adoption by defence and security end users.
Application Deadline
Applicants should prepare their materials well before the deadline, including the required company information, challenge selection, one-page quad chart, and four-page proposal. Because the application requires clear dual-use positioning, NATO relevance, technical credibility, and commercialization logic, companies should begin the readiness and proposal-development process as early as possible.
What Is NATO DIANA?
Through its annual Challenge Call, DIANA invites eligible companies to propose solutions to specific defence and security challenges. Selected companies enter the DIANA Accelerator Programme, receive funding, gain access to NATO’s innovation ecosystem, and work with mentors, test centres, investors, and potential end users.
NATO DIANA 2027 Challenge Areas
For the 2027 cohort, NATO DIANA has announced six major challenge areas. Each challenge is broad enough to welcome different technology approaches, but specific enough to reflect real operational needs across NATO and Allied nations.
The key question for applicants is: how can your technology help turn complex, fragmented, or noisy data into trusted intelligence and actionable decisions?
NATO is seeking practical, interoperable solutions that can maintain communications, navigation, situational awareness, and coordination at the tactical edge.
Relevant technologies may include resilient mesh networks, low-probability-of-intercept communications, adaptive spectrum management, AI-enabled sensing, quantum-enabled detection, GNSS-independent navigation, timing and synchronization tools, electromagnetic signature reduction, and edge sensors for identifying signals or imagery intelligence.
The key question for applicants is: how can your technology help users continue operating when connectivity, navigation, and the electromagnetic spectrum cannot be trusted?
NATO is seeking smart, interoperable logistics solutions that improve endurance, adaptability, and freedom of action.
Potential technologies include AI-enabled logistics planning, demand forecasting, supply-chain resilience tools, logistics command-and-control software, digital twins, predictive maintenance, additive manufacturing, in-field repair systems, deployable energy solutions, autonomous resupply, modular vehicle architectures, secure transport, and energy harvesting.
The key question for applicants is: how can your technology help people, equipment, supplies, energy, or data move and function reliably under disruption?
NATO is seeking modular, scalable, adaptable, and data-integrated countermeasure solutions that can support a shared air picture and layered defence approach.
Potential technologies include active and passive sensing, multi-sensor fusion, early warning systems, low-cost detection and classification tools, scalable non-kinetic countermeasures, spoofing detection and mitigation, low-cost interceptors, system hardening, modular open architectures, resilient C2 capabilities, and decision-support tools for time-critical engagement planning.
The key question for applicants is: how can your technology help detect, classify, prioritize, and respond to aerial threats in a scalable and interoperable way?
Who Can Apply?
The programme is especially suitable for startups and small or medium-sized enterprises that have strong technologies but limited experience in defence and security markets.
Universities, public-sector organizations, and nonprofit groups are not eligible to apply directly, although they may be involved through collaboration with an eligible company. Collaborative proposals may be accepted, but one eligible company must be identified as the lead applicant for communication, contracting, and reporting.
DIANA focuses on dual-use technologies. This means the proposed solution should have meaningful civilian or commercial applications as well as clear defence and security relevance.
What Applicants Need to Submit
The NATO DIANA application process is designed to be concise, but it is highly competitive. Applicants are expected to provide:
- Company identification information
- The selected challenge area
- A one-page quad chart
- A four-page proposal
- A clear description of the technical solution
- An explanation of dual-use potential
- A defence and security relevance statement
- Commercial viability and adoption potential
- Team capability and resource readiness
- A strong explanation of how the proposed solution addresses the selected challenge
Although the application is short, it requires strategic clarity. A successful application must do more than describe a technology. It must explain why the technology matters, how it solves the challenge, why the team can deliver, how the solution can be tested, and how it could be adopted by defence, security, or commercial users.
NATO DIANA Selection Process
The DIANA selection process is competitive and staged.
Proposal submission
First, applicants submit their proposals through the official DIANA portal before the deadline. After the call closes, eligible proposals are reviewed through a structured evaluation process.
Short-form proposal review
The first stage focuses on the short-form proposal. DIANA evaluates whether the proposed technology is aligned with the challenge, technically feasible, valid, coherent, and relevant as a dual-use solution.
Long-form proposal review
Applicants who pass the first stage move to a more detailed review of the long-form proposal. At this stage, DIANA considers technical merit, novelty, feasibility, defence and security relevance, expected impact, commercial potential, adoption pathway, available resources, dependencies, and fit with the DIANA programme.
Virtual panel session
Applicants who pass the proposal review may then be invited to a virtual panel session. This typically involves presenting the solution to evaluators with technical, defence and security, commercial, and adoption expertise.
Selected companies become DIANA Innovators
Selected companies are invited to become DIANA Innovators and join the Accelerator Programme.
What Selected Innovators Receive
During Phase 1, innovators work to refine their solutions in response to the challenge and improve their pathway to adoption. They may access DIANA’s test centre network to test, verify, and validate their technologies against end-user needs.
At the end of the programme, a competitive down-selection process takes place. Selected innovators may move forward into the Mission Track, where they may receive additional support and funding to further demonstrate the solution, develop transition strategies, work with investors, and identify pathways to adoption.
What Makes a Strong NATO DIANA Application?
A strong NATO DIANA application should be concise, focused, and strategically positioned. The strongest proposals usually demonstrate five things clearly.
First,
they show a strong fit with one specific challenge. DIANA is not looking for generic innovation claims. The application must show direct alignment with the selected challenge statement.
Second,
they explain the dual-use value. The company must show that the technology has both civilian/commercial relevance and defence/security relevance.
Third,
they demonstrate technical maturity. The technology should be advanced enough to be tested, refined, or adapted during the programme..
Fourth,
they show a credible team and execution plan. DIANA needs confidence that the company can deliver the proposed work and make effective use of the programme.
Fifth,
they explain adoption potential. The application should show who could use the solution, why they would adopt it, and what pathway could lead from prototype or product to real-world use.
Why Strategy Matters
Many companies have promising technologies but struggle to translate them into NATO-relevant language. A strong DIANA application must bridge the gap between technical capability and operational value.
The proposal should answer practical questions:
- What problem does the technology solve?
- Why is this problem important to NATO and Allied countries?
- How does the solution work in contested or degraded environments?
- What makes the technology different from existing approaches?
- How mature is the technology?
- Who are the likely users and buyers?
- What civilian markets could support scaling?
- What testing, validation, or partnerships are needed next?
- Why is the company ready for DIANA now?
This is where strategic proposal development becomes essential.
How Vectors Defence Can Help
Vectors Defence supports companies preparing for NATO DIANA and other defence, security, and dual-use innovation opportunities.
We help applicants move from a promising technology idea to a clear, competitive, and NATO-relevant application. Our role is to help companies understand the challenge, define their dual-use positioning, strengthen their defence relevance, and prepare a proposal package that communicates technical credibility, operational value, and commercial potential.
Vectors Defence can support clients with:
- NATO DIANA challenge-fit assessment
- Eligibility and readiness review
- Dual-use strategy development
- Defence and security value proposition
- Quad chart preparation
- Four-page proposal writing and editing
- Technical narrative refinement
- Commercialization and adoption strategy
- Partner and ecosystem mapping
- Risk, implementation, and resource planning
- Pitch and virtual panel preparation
- Mission Track and follow-on strategy
Our approach combines strategic planning, proposal development, defence-sector awareness, dual-use commercialization, and implementation-focused consulting.
For companies working in AI, autonomous systems, C4ISR, cybersecurity, sensing, logistics, maritime technologies, critical infrastructure, emergency response, secure communications, space-enabled systems, or operational resilience, Vectors Defence can help translate innovation into a compelling defence and security opportunity.
Prepare Your NATO DIANA Application with Confidence
The NATO DIANA 2027 Challenge Call is a major opportunity for companies with dual-use technologies that can support Allied defence, security, and resilience.However, the application is competitive. A strong submission requires more than technical description. It requires strategic alignment, clear messaging, NATO relevance, credible commercialization logic, and a practical pathway to adoption.
Vectors Defence helps innovators prepare for this process with structure, clarity, and confidence.
If your company is exploring NATO DIANA, now is the time to assess your fit, select the right challenge, and prepare a strong application.
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