Ministry hunts next defence unicorn with bigger contracts

The British Ministry of Defence is expanding a program offering accelerated contracts worth up to GBP100 million over four years to high-growth domestic defense and dual-use technology companies. Defence Minister Luke Pollard said UK Defence Innovation is identifying businesses with limited or no previous ministry work as part of the Defence Investment Plan's effort to develop larger suppliers. An online Test and Evaluation Marketplace is also planned for launch by the end of 2026, potentially in November, alongside the Project Safari testing initiative with QinetiQ. No recipient companies, signed awards or aggregate spending under the new contracting approach were identified.