Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) SMEs and (b) non-traditional suppliers are involved in his Department's innovation programmes.

Defence is focussed on exploiting new and innovative ideas and technologies to secure a competitive edge for our Armed Forces. Within the scope of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), there are currently 49 programmes funded through investment vehicles such as the Defence Innovation Fund (DIF) and the Exploitation Fund (ExF). The number of SMEs and non-traditional suppliers involved in these programmes is not currently defined.

Furthermore, the UKDI Defence and security accelerator (UKDI-DASA) has launched 12 themed competitions and ran five cycles of the Open Call for Innovation. UKDI-DASA has funded 123 projects, of which 73% were with SMEs.