Oxford Innovation Advice event comes ahead of the Defence Procurement Conference in June

More than 60 West Midlands businesses gathered for an event aimed at helping SMEs break into international defence markets and strengthen the UK’s sovereign defence capability.

The “Breaking into defence” event was delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice in partnership with regional business support programmes including the Investment Readiness Programme.

The purpose of the event in Dudley was to give smaller manufacturers direct access to Ministry of Defence export specialists, global primes and regional growth advisers.

Defence Procurement Conference 2026 – June 11 and 12

This event comes after the creation, by the East and West Midlands mayors, of the Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council, and it precedes the Defence Procurement Conference 2026, on June 11 and 12 at Millennium Point in Birmingham. 

The Defence Procurement Conference 2026 is the first dedicated West Midlands forum focused exclusively on UK defence supply chain access and procurement strategy.

Organised by the One Thousand Trades Group, it is bringing together SMEs, defence manufacturers, commissioners and government representatives to build meaningful commercial pathways into defence contracts to:

• Connect SMEs directly with defence manufacturers and procurement leads
• Provide insight into MoD supply chain requirements
• Clarify bidding processes and compliance expectations
• Offer high-level policy briefings and practical procurement workshops
• Create structured networking between commissioners and suppliers.

£4.5bn of MoD spending on defence

Smaller suppliers already account for £4.5 billion of MoD spend, and the Government has pledged to increase defence spending with SMEs by 50% by 2028. Procurement reform, sovereign capability priorities and national resilience objectives are reshaping how contracts are awarded and delivered.

Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain, which is supporting the Defence Procurement Conference, said: “We’re breaking down barriers and opening new avenues for innovation. We are ensuring that our SMEs can play a vital role in strengthening our defence capabilities.”

International procurement, export controls, supply chain positioning

Sessions at the recent Oxford Innovation Advice event covered international procurement, export controls, supply chain positioning, and building long-term strategic partnerships.

David Woodbridge, SME Engagement Team Leader at the UK MOD Exports team, said: “With over 60 SMEs in attendance and some great interaction and feedback, I think we can confidently say we met our joint objective of helping firms in the region with their business growth.”

Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice, added: “SMEs play a vital role in strengthening the defence sector’s industrial base in the UK.”