New for 2007

Connecting with IPTs: Breakout Sessions

This year’s conference will provide delegates with a unique opportunity to have pre-arranged meetings with representatives from 15-20 MoD Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) – Air, Land and Sea, thereby allowing attending delegates to gain a better understanding of the IPT function and how to work with IPTs in the future.

For more details click here

Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)

Defence Equipment and Support was officially formed on 1 April 2007 with the merger of the Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics Organisation. DE&S headquarters are based in Bristol and the organisation employs approximately 29,000 staff at bases across the UK.

DE&S equips and supports the UK's Armed Forces for current and future operations. It acquires and supports through life, including disposal, equipment and services ranging from ships, aircraft, vehicles and weapons to electronic systems and information systems.

• DE&S employs approximately 29,000 staff
• • DE&S has an annual budget spend of £16 billion, representing 43% of the Defence budget
• • DE&S is located at 65 sites and represented at 150 other sites
• • DE&S works closely with industry, with partnering agreements and Private Finance Initiatives

The Ministry of Defence has launched a new initiative to help Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) win more defence contracts by lowering the threshold value for advertising MoD contracts. The threshold value for advertising MoD contracts has been lowered, which will encourage more competitive bidding for a wider range of defence business and encourage greater innovation from industry.

On 30 April 2007, the threshold for advertising 'warlike' requirements was lowered from £500,000 to £93,000; on 30 June 2007, it will be lowered again to £40,000. The threshold for advertising 'non-warlike' requirements will also be reduced on 30 June 2007 from £93,000 to £40,000. Furthermore, from 30 June 2007, MoD project teams will be encouraged to consider advertising requirements with values as low as £20,000. This change could generate up to 7000 additional adverts a year. This change is in line with one of the key themes of the Defence Industrial Strategy and reaffirms the MoD's commitment to working with SMEs.

"We are committed to making the Ministry of Defence SME-friendly. This is one of a range of initiatives aimed at making it easier for small and medium-sized companies to do business with us. SMEs play a crucial role in UK defence business and represent a significant core of direct suppliers to MoD. In 2005, just over half of all MoD contracts let were placed with SMEs, to the value of over half a billion pounds.”

Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support