Defence: Small Businesses
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 58 of his department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress has been made since the Strategic Defence Review on removing barriers to collaboration, especially for smaller companies.
Answered by Ministry of Defence
Since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence has established the Defence Office for Small Business Growth to help remove barriers faced by SMEs when engaging with Defence. Launched in January 2025, the Office is supporting the Government's ambition to increase direct MOD spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by 2028, representing a 50% increase in direct spend with SMEs. The Department is reinvigorating the network of SME Champions in its major suppliers to improve engagement throughout the defence supply-chain.
In addition, Defence has published an SME Action Plan, informed by SME feedback, which sets out further measures to reduce barriers to collaboration, simplify engagement with the Department, and improve access to defence opportunities for small businesses.
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