Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, the average time taken for an SME to obtain security clearance to (a) bid for and (b) deliver a defence contract.

In most instances, it is not necessary for a company or individual to hold security clearance prior to commencing the bidding process for a government contract.

Should access to sensitive information or assets be required either during the bidding phase or for the delivery of the contract, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) project team is responsible for initiating the vetting procedure. Security vetting is conducted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which operates under the Cabinet Office.

The duration of the security vetting process can differ on a case-by-case basis, due to the multiple checks conducted by various agencies. As a result, there is no standard timeframe applicable to all cases.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) continues to meet its agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across each product type. UKSV KPIs are set and regularly reviewed in consultation with customer groups, governed by ministerial oversight, to ensure demand is balanced whilst maintaining assurance in national security safeguards. In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.