New routes into the defence sector: funding for UK tech companies

“I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a defence business, and our military the fastest innovating in NATO.”

“Backed by our record sustained increase in defence spending, we are delivering good jobs and growth across the UK by opening up new routes into the defence sector.”

Defence Secretary John Healey MP

The UK Government has announced a new incentive scheme that’s aimed at providing new routes into the defence sector for the UK’s technology startups.

The search for the UK’s next defence unicorn has kicked off with the launch of a bespoke £20 million fund to offer accelerated contracts to small, innovative British startups that have had limited or no business with the Ministry of Defence.

What funding and support are available?

The goal of the scheme is to bring more UK-owned tech companies into the UK defence market, with support available from government-backed funding.

The scheme will offer:

• New routes for small and growing businesses to enter the defence sector.
• Support for innovative British technology companies to create the tech of tomorrow for the UK’s Armed Forces.
• A Ministry of Defence commitment to spend an additional £2.5 billion through to May 2028, taking total spend with small and medium enterprises to £7.5 billion.
• Helping you bring further innovation to the UK defence sector.

If you’re a UK-owned technology company with innovative defence products that would qualify for this government initiative, now’s the time to target the defence market.

Book some time with our team to talk through your strategy and how you can start tendering for defence contracts and applying for government-backed funding.