A discretionary fund could reward a demonstrated result. The Admiralty might publish a standard and pay the first builder to deliver a specified number of working 14-inch barrels that passed its test. This would make the payment a prize for success rather than a contribution to a firm's development costs as work proceeded. The outcome would depend on the competition's terms and on what each firm delivered, making the winning design impossible to assume in advance.
Notable Point · 3:23:35-3:24:41
Prizes for proven naval technology
The Admiralty could offer a prize for the first firm to deliver working guns that met a stated test standard.