Contracts for Innovation: DSbD Advancing CHERI Tools and software

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £12 million, inclusive of VAT, to work on maturing and enabling the availability of CHERI Tools and Software components for RISC-V embedded devices that support the CHERI architecture extensions.

This is a Contracts for Innovation competition funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The aim of the competition is to fund activities in maturing and enabling the availability of CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions) tools and software components for RISC-V embedded devices that implement the CHERI architecture extensions.

Projects are required to mature and make available tools and software components for use with CHERI-enabled devices. This could include porting and optimisation activities on:

• the Linux kernel and associated frameworks such as memory management, file system, network and inter-process communication
• application services frameworks and software components libraries used in embedded systems, such as various protocols and communications, storage and databases, identity and cryptography
• Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and runtimes used within embedded systems such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr OS, Java, Docker, WebAssembly
• tools used by developers of software such as compilers, debuggers, profilers and core libraries

There will be an online briefing event for the competition on Tuesday 20^th May at 2pm : register to attend (Briefing slides will be available to download from supporting information after the event)

This is a single phase, two stage competition. The decision to proceed with stage 2 will depend on the successful delivery against contracted milestones by the end of stage 1 and budget availability for stage 2.

In applying to this competition you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding budget of up to £4 million for stage 1 and up to £8 million for stage 2, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects.

It may be the case that your project scores highly and receives positive comments from the assessors but we are still unable to fund it due to the portfolio approach taken.

Any adoption and implementation of a solution from this competition would be subject to a separate, possibly competitive, procurement exercise. This competition does not cover the purchase of any solution.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third-party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Funding type

Procurement

Project size

Projects can range in total eligible costs from £200,000 to £3 million, inclusive of VAT. Stage 1 must include contract agreed milestones and associated deliverables between £200,000 and £1 million. Projects may end after stage 1 with no stage 2 proposed.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).