The Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, says that Welsh business should not “underestimate the valuable impact” the UK defence sector has on the country’s security and economy.
Defence Procurement in Wales
Minister for Defence Procurement Stuart Andrew has acknowledged Wales’ part in the UK defence strategy noting that the government spent £945m with Welsh businesses in 2017, supporting over 6000 jobs.
Mr Andrew said:
“Wales plays a massive part in ensuring our Armed Forces have the finest military equipment to defend us, and is already assembling the Army’s new Ajax vehicles in what is the biggest order of its kind in three decades”.
Modernising the MOD vehicle fleet
The MOD wants to modernise its vehicle fleet and meet the Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle requirement.
In March 2018, the Government announced that the Ministry of Defence would rejoin the Boxer programme as it was exploring options to equip military forces with the 8×8 troop carriers. Mr Andrew has hinted that the investment could produce MOD tenders for Welsh suppliers;
“A possible deal for new Boxer armoured vehicles could mean at least 1,000 more British jobs, and I hope local companies seize this opportunity to understand how there could be even more defence work up for grabs for Wales in the future.”
Accessing MOD tenders
If you are interested in winning MOD tenders, David Pile, Sales and Business Development Director at Rheinmetall Defence UK, recommends that any business that wants to win MOD tenders attends supplier engagement events, if your business wants to link up with organisations across the supply chain.
It is incredibly important that your business is engaging with defence buyers as early as possible. Finding out about these opportunities during the initial stages could make a considerable difference when it comes to a buyer’s decision.
DCI’s Market Intelligence tool delivers accurate insights that can help your business to find valuable new markets and contacts.
If you would like to find out more about the benefits of market intelligence to defence suppliers, request a demo with one of our defence experts.
