Exclusive: Head of UK defence SME office outlines upcoming plans

The UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) SME office will reach full operating capability (FOC) by January 2027, Tim Ketton-Locke, the head of the SME office, told DSEI Gateway.

Officially called the Defence Office for Small Business Growth, the SME office was launched in January 2026 in a bid to cut red tape, simplify procurement, and help small businesses secure and win defence contracts.

FOC, a year after launch, depends on a new Grow function being in place, which Ketton-Locke said will accelerate support for SMEs.

What is the Grow function?

Grow, he explained, will bring together some of the key building blocks needed to help SMEs accelerate, including access to finance and export support.

Ahead of this, Ketton-Locke said that the SME office has prioritised addressing issues around security clearance.

This includes ensuring that security clearance is not a prerequisite for bidding “on a piece of work”, allowing SMEs to obtain it after winning a contract. The aim is to “change the culture to allow more people” into defence and ensure clearance does not stop SMEs from accessing initiatives such as industry event days.

The approach is being tested with 30 pathfinder SMEs that are helping to shape and refine the office, ensuring it meets their needs ahead of a wider rollout. However, Ketton-Locke acknowledged that it will take time to “embed”, and that further work was needed.

Along with security clearance, over the next two to four years, the office plans to develop “digital solutions”, improve suppliers’ access to contracts, “get things at the point of relevance”, and bring more of the defence enterprise within its remit.

“We are right at the foothill of the solution”, with the right people now “championing us,” Ketton-Locke concluded.