Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the visibility of forthcoming procurement opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, including opportunities within prime contractors’ supply chains.

Defence is committed to improving the visibility of procurement opportunities and to map out entry points as a means to remove unnecessary barriers for SMEs wishing to work either directly with us, or with our supply chain.

To promote awareness of opportunities, we always encourage SMEs to sign up to the Defence Sourcing Portal in the first instance. Under the Procurement Act 2023, all government opportunities which will go to open competition are set out in Pipeline Notices through the Find a Tender platform.

With regards to entry points, we intend to publish a simple 'front door' of entry points by the end of this calendar year.

This work, alongside the other commitments set out in the SME Action Plan from July 2026, will benefit businesses across the country, including those in Tees Valley.