Defence & MoD Contract Awards

UK Defence Procurement

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is one of the government's largest spending departments, with an annual budget exceeding £50 billion. A significant portion of this — over £20 billion — goes on equipment and support contracts let through Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), which manages the procurement lifecycle for major platforms, weapons systems and through-life support contracts.

While some defence procurement is classified or placed through restricted procedures not subject to normal publication requirements, a substantial volume of MoD contracts — particularly for goods and services, professional services, estates and IT — is published on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender and is therefore publicly accessible. TenderResults indexes these notices alongside the rest of the UK public sector.

£50B+Annual MoD budget

£20B+Equipment and support procurement

3,000+Defence-registered suppliers

Key MoD Buying Organisations

Defence procurement is spread across several specialist organisations:

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) — manages acquisition and through-life support of equipment for the Armed Forces, including aircraft, ships, vehicles, weapons and electronics
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) — manages the MoD estate (over 6,000 properties), building construction, maintenance and facilities management
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) — research and development contracts, scientific services, technology evaluation
Defence Digital — IT infrastructure, software, cyber and digital services across defence
Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) — oversight body for single-source (non-competitive) defence contracts above £5 million
Army, Royal Navy and RAF — individual service procurement for training, logistics, equipment and support not managed centrally

Recent MoD Contract Award Examples

Organisation	Contract	Supplier	Value
Defence Infrastructure Org	Soft FM Services — Defence Estates	Sodexo Defence Services	£340M
Defence Digital	Cloud Computing Platform Services	Microsoft Ltd	£90M
DSTL	Scientific Research Support Services	PA Consulting	£18.4M
DE&S	Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Framework	Babcock International	£250M
Royal Navy	Simulator Training Systems	CAE	£44.0M

Representative examples based on publicly available data. Search TenderResults for live awards.

What Can Suppliers Access?

Published Awards (in TenderResults)

The following categories of MoD spend are routinely published on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender and are available in TenderResults:

Facilities management and estates maintenance
Professional services (consultancy, HR, legal, finance)
IT and digital services (infrastructure, software, support)
Training and simulation (non-classified)
Logistics and supply chain services
Catering, cleaning and soft FM services
Medical and healthcare services for Armed Forces personnel
Research and development (non-classified)

Restricted and Classified Procurement

Major equipment platforms (aircraft, warships, armoured vehicles), weapons systems and classified research are typically placed through restricted defence procurement procedures. These are subject to separate rules under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) and may not appear in standard procurement portals.

Defence Frameworks and DPS

The MoD and its agencies use a number of framework agreements and Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) to streamline procurement. Key frameworks include:

Defence Managed Service (DMS) — estates and facilities management across the defence estate
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks — the MoD participates in CCS frameworks for IT, professional services and fleet
DSTL Scientific Research Framework — for academic and commercial research partners
Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) — cyber security services for defence supply chain

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the MoD spend on procurement?

The UK Ministry of Defence has an annual budget exceeding £50 billion, of which over £20 billion is spent on defence equipment acquisition and support through Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). The remaining budget covers personnel, estates, IT and professional services.

Are all MoD contracts published publicly?

No. Defence procurement that relates to national security, classified equipment or weapons systems may be placed through restricted procedures under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) without public notice. However, a large volume of MoD spend — on facilities, IT, professional services and support — is published on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender.

What is Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S)?

DE&S is the MoD's procurement and in-service support organisation, responsible for acquiring and supporting military equipment throughout its operational life. Based in Bristol (Abbey Wood), DE&S manages programmes ranging from combat aircraft and warships to vehicles and personal equipment.

How do I become a defence supplier?

The first step is registering on the MoD's Defence Contracts Online (DCO) portal, which is the primary route for opportunity alerts and tender participation. For classified work, suppliers need to complete security clearance through the UK Security Vetting process. Many defence contracts are awarded through frameworks that require separate registration and accreditation.

What is the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO)?

The SSRO regulates contracts placed on a single-source (non-competitive) basis with defence suppliers. Contracts above £5 million placed without competition must comply with the Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR), which set rules on profit rates and contract reporting. The SSRO publishes data on these contracts.

What is DSTL and what does it procure?

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) is the MoD's in-house research organisation. It commissions external research, scientific services and technology evaluation through competitive procurement, much of which is published on Contracts Finder. DSTL works extensively with universities, SMEs and specialist technology companies.

Can SMEs win MoD contracts?

Yes. The MoD has active policies to increase SME participation in defence procurement, including a target to spend at least 25% of its procurement budget with SMEs (directly or through supply chains). DSTL in particular has a strong track record of contracting with SMEs and innovative companies. Many opportunities are published on Contracts Finder with no minimum turnover requirement.

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