Background to programme

In the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy and the Defence Command Paper Refresh, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) committed to support the development of a more productive and competitive UK defence sector. As a result, the MOD has launched the Defence Supplier Capability Development Programme to provide business improvement support for SMEs and mid-tier suppliers in the defence sector supply chain.

The programme will offer UK based suppliers growing in the sector up to £200,000 worth of customised support over the course of a year, tailored to their specific developmental requirements. This support will be funded by the MOD, with companies being required to demonstrate matched resource commitment through the time they spend on improvement activities.

The support will be based on an initial diagnostic assessment conducted to evaluate each organisation’s capabilities and needs, ensuring that every business receives the appropriate assistance to address their unique requirements. This will lead on to a tailored package of support delivered by a range of experts in each critical area that participants need to develop.

The programme aims to:

• Support the development of a more productive and competitive UK defence sector by providing improvement support to UK based defence suppliers.
• Improve productivity and competitiveness of UK defence supply chains
• Increase domestic resilience and improve companies’ ability to win export opportunities.

The Defence Supplier Capability Development Programme is managed by Grant Thornton UK LLP on behalf of the MOD.