Funke
Anti-Drone Response
Small and micro drones have become part of modern conflicts – and a growing risk to civilian safety. They are fast, low-cost, hard to detect – and often autonomous. Whether in war zones, over stadiums, or at airports: their uses range from surveillance to sabotage. Existing defense systems? Overwhelmed.
The SPRIND Funke Anti-Drone Response
closes this gap and calls for a paradigm shift: What is needed are non-destructive, scalable and fully autonomous defense solutions that reliably detect threats, react quickly and neutralize drones without endangering the surrounding airspace or any third parties. The goal is not the kinetic flight-system destruction but mitigation by means of intelligent effects, diversion, blockade or other reversible measures.
What we're looking for: an adaptive, integrated system that identifies threats, classifies them reliably, and responds with non-kinetic, reversible measures – such as capture, redirection, or blocking. The solution must prove itself in realistic scenarios and offer strong dual-use potential for civil and military contexts.
The SPRIND Funke starts on August 15, 2025, and runs for just under four months in two stages. A jury of renowned experts will support SPRIND in evaluating applications and selecting up to 20 teams to enter the first stage. SPRIND provides substantial, tailored support throughout each phase of the Funke, including financial backing and direct access to a network of experts and potential collaborators.
For Stage 1, teams may receive up to 22,000 euros (plus VAT) over one month, with funding based on each team’s projected costs. After the first stage, the jury will review interim results, evaluating which teams display the strongest potential for transformative innovation. Up to ten teams will advance to Stage 2, with funding of up to 30,000 euros (plus VAT) per team over another 1,5 months.
Please read the call for proposals and the participation agreement carefully before applying, and submit your application exclusively via the application form.
The application period runs until July 29, 2025, 11:59 PM CEST. All applications submitted by this deadline will be considered.
Do you have further questions?
Please feel free to contact us at challenge@sprind.org.
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