How to sell to or work with Dstl

Published 1 day ago• 4 minute read

This page explains how to become a supplier and where to find the opportunities that are available.

Dstl works alongside a range of suppliers to provide our customers with the best science and technology, research and capabilities to protect the UK’s security and advance the UK’s defence interests. Find out more about who we are and what we do, and how we we are increasing collaboration and engagement with Ministry of Defence (MOD), as set out in the Defence Science and Technology (DST) collaboration and engagement strategy.

Work with Dstl

We work with external suppliers unless there’s a clear reason not to: see our science and technology procurement criteria (PDF, 24 KB, 3 pages)

We want to make it easier for innovative suppliers to work with us, including:

SMEs: A guide to working with government provides advice for small and medium sized enterprises on how to bid for and win government contracts. The Dstl SME action plan 2020 to 2025 tells you more about what we are doing to make it easier for SMEs to work with us, including:

Subscribe to our regular supplier email for the latest science and technology news and events, development in our work, information about new and existing contracts and case studies.

Suppliers working with Dstl have the opportunity to:

Supplier Stories: Advanced Material Development

Dstl is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Around half of MOD’s science and technology budget, managed by Dstl, is spent with industry and academia.

Our work covers everything from space to artificial intelligence. Find out more about our science and technology capabilities.

Dstl expects suppliers to:

Suppliers should also be aware of guidance on trading with the EU, and that UK procurement rules are set to change with the removal of 350 EU laws.

Dstl reserves the right to exclude a supplier who has been convicted of any of the offences or misconduct listed in either the MOD or Dstl ‘statement relating to good standing.’

You can:

By default we buy all goods and services through open competition, as set out in UK law for public sector procurement, and follow MOD’s procurement process. Dstl do not currently use MOD’s contracting, purchasing and finance (CP and F) system.

Dstl do not operate ‘preferred’ supplier lists.

In a typical competition:

Dstl has established science and technology (S&T) framework agreements for use across government. Suppliers can join them to become part of the UK government supply chain.

We also encourage our framework supply partners to advertise sub-contracting opportunities on the Defence Sourcing Portal.

Our capital works and construction projects range from £1m to £300m.

In line with MOD’s procurement process, we use existing public sector frameworks wherever possible. These include:

We also consider the principles of The Construction Playbook.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) corporate solutions deliver our hard and soft facilities management.

If you’re successfully awarded a public sector contract, including those advertised by Dstl, details from it may then be published under transparency regulations. The criteria for redactions will be in line with the exemptions set out by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); Dstl will assess their applications in discussion with suppliers.

Dstl protects our partners’ intellectual property (IP), but we reserve the right for UK government to use the results of research and development funded by the UK taxpayer.

You can also licence some of our technologies through the Easy Access IP scheme, or via Ploughshare Innovations which was was formed in 2005 to commercialise and exploit Dstl’s intellectual property generated from its research.

CPNI and the National Cyber Security Centre have produced some guidance aimed at raising awareness of risks associated with working internationally:

We work with a number of other organisations at the forefront of innovation in science and technology for defence. These include:

For further information or queries contact [email protected]

Subscribe to our regular supplier email for the latest science and technology news and events, development in our work, information about new and existing contracts and case studies.

Published 1 July 2014
Last updated 18 March 2025 + show all updates

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