Strategic Stability Programme guidance 2026 to 2027
The Strategic Stability Programme (SSP) is the UK government's initiative to address growing strategic risks, including larger and more diverse nuclear arsenals, the rapid spread of disruptive technologies, and gaps in arms control, and the guidance explains the SSP outcomes for financial year 2026–2027. It funds projects that help the UK and its partners understand and reduce these risks, including building specialist government expertise, strengthening alliance cooperation, improving norms around emerging technologies, supporting responsible space conduct, and developing new deterrence and crisis-management approaches, in collaboration with MOD, FCDO, and international partners the UN, NATO and the OSCE, with a focus on the Euro-Atlantic (including the Arctic/High North) and the Indo-Pacific. Projects may span 1–3 years for FY 2026–2027 and 2028–2029 and can be single-state, multi-country, regional or global; applications for funding must be emailed as a project proposal and activity-based budget to [email protected] by 11:59pm UK time on 17 April 2026, ideally after discussions with FCDO Security Policy Department policy leads.
This guidance explains the Strategic Stability Programme outcomes for financial year 2026 to 2027 and how to apply by 17 April 2026 for a grant through the project bidding process.
The Strategic Stability Programme (SSP) is the UK government’s initiative to address the growing risks that threaten international security and stability. These risks include larger and more diverse nuclear arsenals, disruptive technologies proliferating rapidly, and international arms control arrangements failing to keep pace with these developments.
The programme exists because today’s security environment is more complex than during the Cold War, with more states acquiring advanced capabilities and global competition making escalation more likely.
To respond to these challenges, the SSP funds projects that help the UK and its partners better understand and reduce strategic risks. This includes building specialist expertise across government, strengthening cooperation with allies, improving international norms around emerging technologies, supporting responsible behaviour in space, and developing new approaches to deterrence and crisis management.
The programme works closely with the Ministry of Defence, the UK’s global overseas network, and international partners the United Nations, NATO, and the OSCE. It focuses on regions where strategic competition is most intense, such as the Euro‑Atlantic, including the Arctic and the High North, and the Indo‑Pacific.
How to apply
Read the Strategic Stability Programme guidance, which provides detailed information about the process and the strategic context.
Projects may be a single year and multi-year proposals (1 to 3 years) for financial years 2026 to 2027 and 2028 to 2029. In addition, projects can be a single state, multi-country, regional or global in scope.
To apply for funding, organisations should email a project proposal and an activity-based budget to [email protected] by 11:59pm UK time on 17 April 2026.
We recommend that potential bidders discuss proposals with the relevant policy leads in FCDO’s Security Policy Department before submitting them.
Email [email protected] to request contact details of policy leads or to submit general questions about the programme or the grant proposal process.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-stability-programme-guidance-2026-to-2027
