A new team dedicated to supporting small British businesses to win more defence contracts has been established. Known as the Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OfSBG), it will be made up of policy and commercial expert staff, who will support small and medium UK firms to bid for and win more defence contracts. The ambition is to reverse the decline in Ministry of Defence (MOD) spend on SMEs, as identified in the Defence Industrial Strategy.
The OfSBG will oversee a comprehensive programme of change, ranging from policy and commercial process simplification – such as improving cash flow when under contract – to encouraging private investment by providing long-term clarity on procurements. This work is in addition to enhancing transparency and knowledge sharing within the sector, all aimed at backing British SMEs.
For both new and existing suppliers, the OfSBG will act as a central hub for advice and support on engaging with defence, ensuring procurement processes are faster, simpler and more effective. Services include structured guidance on tendering, contracting and working with the MOD and wider defence supply chain, mentoring schemes, networking opportunities with prime contractors, signposting to regional defence clusters and trade associations, and a confidential channel for SMEs to raise concerns.
A public-facing web portal and contact centre will initially support 30 SMEs, from carefully selected sectors, covering cyber to aeronautical engineering, and covering the whole of the UK from the south coast of England to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They represent a cross section of industry including those who have previously worked with the MOD and those who are new, ensuring industry is supplying the best of British capabilities to defence. These companies will help rapidly test, trial, and refine the service before planned expansion to embrace the wider business community over the coming weeks and months.
Read the full press release here.
Access the Defence Office for Small Business Growth web portal here https://www.digital.mod.uk/sme-dosbg
