NATO launches decision-superiority challenge

NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has launched a new “decision-superiority" challenge to identify solutions that enhance operational planning.  

Announced on 20 April, the challenge is being coordinated with NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (‘SHAPE’), and is specifically calling for SMEs, startups, and non-traditional companies.  

It is also distinct from the accelerator’s standard annual technology challenges which are published every June.  

Specifically, under this challenge, NATO is seeking AI, machine learning, or other software systems that can aid the modernisation of “modelling and simulation, wargaming and decision-making capabilities”.   

These should be able to augment existing warfighting platforms, such as the Maven Smart System – a command and control system provided by Palantir. It has been used extensively in the Iranian-US conflict, allowing the US to identify and process over 1,000 potential targets a day. 

The challenge announcement says that proposed solutions need to be at a technical readiness level seven or above, meaning that they are at a high stage of maturity. 

They should be capable of “increasing analytical depth, dynamism and accelerating decision-making in time-constrained operational environments”, NATO says. 

Successful companies will be awarded EUR100,000 and have the opportunity to secure follow-on contracts through DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service. 

How will the competition work?  

As part of the submission process, applicants will need to submit short-form and long-form proposals, plus an optional – but recommended – video submission. 

The application window closes on 5 May, with written proposals being downselected by 24 May. 

Virtual panel sessions will then follow, where further downselection will take place between 1 and 4 June. Applicants will be notified of results later in June. 

Following this, the programme will commence in July, with a demonstration of their capabilities within a cloud-based environment. 

NATO DIANA was established in 2022 to better harness dual-use innovation for defence across the alliance.  

It hosts yearly competitions, based around priority capability requirements, with some exceptional ad-hoc challenges on behalf of NATO itself. 

Previously, in 2025, DIANA held an Arctic innovation competition where five companies were awarded up to EUR50,000 each to continue developing their Arctic innovations. 

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