Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difficulties that small and medium-sized enterprises experience in engaging with the Ministry of Defence; and where and when they plan to publish the specific contact details of (1) those operating the £20 million fund announced by the Ministry of Defence on 28 January for military tech start-ups, and (2) the Defence Office for Small Business Growth, to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to contact them directly.

Engagement with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has indicated that for smaller companies the defence procurement was too slow, too complex, and too hard to navigate. We are giving SMEs a single point of access for advice, support, and opportunities in defence, bringing together services from Ministry of Defence's (MOD) trade associations and investors in one place. Further information, including contact details, can be found at the following website: https://www.digital.mod.uk/sme-dosbg/about-us.

The £20 million fund to offer accelerated contracts to small, innovative British startups is led by the MOD’s Commercial X team which aims to get ground-breaking technologies and innovation into the MOD's hands at pace. The parameters of the fund are currently being determined, and an update will be shared by the end of February. For more information, please contact defcomrcl-comrclx@mod.gov.uk