Contracts for Innovation: First of a Kind 2026 (FOAK26)

The FOAK Programme addresses industry challenges by running innovation competitions. The competitions focus on collaboration with industry and deliver high maturity demonstrations, enabling efficient integration into the railway system.

The aim of the FOAK 2026 competition is to support innovative suppliers for market readiness, through developing solutions which address the following challenges linked to DfT Priorities:

Grow the economy by enhancing the transport network, on time and on budget:

• Challenge 1 – Safe Concurrent High-Speed Rail Installation in Constrained Environments. Stakeholder HS2
• Challenge 2 – UK Dark Skies – Drone Operations BVLOS – Stakeholder Network Rail

Improve transport users’ experience, ensuring that the network is safe, reliable, and inclusive:

• Challenge 3 – Improving Customer Experience in Isolated Spaces. Stakeholders TfL, DLR and Northern Rail Partnership
• Challenge 4 – Digital Hazard Log. Stakeholders Network Rail, Southern Renewals Enterprise
• Challenge 5 – Scour Risks to Structures. Stakeholder Network Rail
• Challenge 6 – Structures: Rapid Behaviour Verification to Support Assessment and Intervention Decisions. Stakeholder Network Rail

Reduce environmental impacts by tackling climate change and improving air quality by decarbonising transport:

• Challenge 7 – Green Engineering Solutions for Earthworks Resilience and Biodiversity Net Gain. Stakeholders Network Rail and TfL
• Challenge 8 – Enhancing Rail Adhesion Through Intelligent Vegetation Management and Biodiversity-Positive Interventions. Stakeholders TfL and Network Rail

Applicants can select one or more challenges per application in this competition.