”It is important for SMEs to get together and debate and discuss issues openly and with challenge – with a view to coming up with a unified voice of what is important for us. The MOD is realising the importance of SMEs for scaling, for innovation, for new ways of approaching warfighting and also for reducing cost. So, for SMEs to outline how to get the most out of our community is vital for the defence enterprise. This day was a great way of helping with this and was full of vibrant conversations and tangible ways forward.”
This excellent piece of feedback from one of the attendees, Chris Hayward from Flarebright, really captures both the importance and outcome of the Defence SME Symposium in Salisbury that SVGC hosted jointly with ADS last week.
The situation for many SMEs in the defence sector is challenging – both working direct to MOD and into Primes – and bringing our voices together with the support and guidance of ADS is one way in which we can try and affect change. With collaboration being at the heart of so much of what SVGC does, the event provided an excellent opportunity to facilitate more of this between the attendees.
All of the 80 plus attendees are aware of the dichotomy between a risk avoidant MOD in a nation under tight budget scrutiny, yet needing daily to cope with the hybrid, covert, coercive and influence-based warfare of a grey zone which needs ingenious, agile, flexible and cost-effective responses. This requires the kind of innovation and ingenuity that smaller defence SME suppliers can provide but which can feel unviable for us commercially or culturally.
Many of the attendees were engaged and grateful to have space in which to voice understandable frustrations as well as discuss how we might move forwards. Mark Langmead from Matrix Pro Services summed this up very well:
“I feel the panel I sat on as the vice Chair of the Defence SME Committee, along with Samira Braund and Brad Haywood, really drew out the frustration and expiring patience of the SMEs with the Ministry of Defence. Too long have we waited for a new government, to then wait for the SDR, the DIS, and now the DIP (which apparently is moving into 2026). The MODs words are not backed up by their actions; SMEs are not being engaged through Purchase Orders (according to the MODs own stats), and that frustration was palpable, however was excellent to test the temperature of the mood of a broad range of SMEs.
“Overall the event was excellent, collating a diverse supply chain of SMEs from across defence; curated by Simon Walker from SVGC and members of ADS, on valid topics close to many of our hearts.”
The important take-aways for this community to continue considering include:
1) The MOD is indeed seeking to adjust through the new Defence Office for Defence Small Business Growth – is January 26 the launch date?
2) The Procurement Act makes it clear what Government and therefore MOD must (not ‘should’) be doing to support SMEs working in defence business. Cath Convery from Explosive Learning Solutions added excellent value reminding attendees to familiarise themselves with the Act – especially Section 16 regarding early market engagement.
3) Government agencies, and therefore the MOD, must be held to account to ensure they actually deliver to SMEs; not just talk about it.
4) This is NOT MOD’s problem alone to solve. It’s a problem for us as defence SMEs to collaborate with MOD to solve together.
In summary, a quote from Brad Hayward of Marlborough Comms and Chair of the ADS Defence SME Committee:
“Some powerful feedback, questions and observations, which all feel completely aligned, despite the diversity of attendees, and influencing tangible change is becoming increasingly critical to this community”.
SVGC are committed to continuing our work in influencing tangible change and holding the powers that be to account – so, stay tuned for more discussion and events on this ever-important topic.
