The Home Office is planning an SBRI call on the subject of digital forensics and how it is used to support serious crime and counter terrorism investigations. The call will launch late August 2015.

With this call the Home Office will be seeking innovative proposals to speed up the recovery and analysis of the high volumes of digital devices and data seized by law enforcement to identify material of interest to investigations In recent years the amount of digital information created by criminals and seized by police has vastly increased to levels nobody would have imagined 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. This includes material used by terrorists, child sex offenders and organised criminal groups.

Law enforcement agencies need to maintain their ability to investigate suspected criminal activity and need to keep pace with what suspects are doing, including by investigating digital devices and information. This is done in a lawful, proportionate way under a strict legislative framework with numerous safeguards. The call will open on the 24th August and close on the 17th October with a number of Phase 1 proposals being accepted up to a total of an expected £ 300 k.

The KTN will be hosting a briefing event on behalf of the Home Office to draw together a community of interested parties to hear about:

• The call scope
• The application process
• Requirements from the users
• The state of the art

Speakers from:

• Innovate UK
• Home Office – Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism
• Home Office – Centre for Applied Science and Technology
• University of Oxford / Turing Institute (TBC)
• End-users / Operational Staff