Defence Online

UK Defence Procurement Market Exceeds £97 Billion in First Ten Months of 2025

Homeland November 7, 2025

The UK defence sector has demonstrated significant procurement activity in 2025, with contract notices valued at over £97.9 billion published between January and October.

Analysis by our Business Intelligence Partner, DCI, of the 971 notices issued by defence buyers reveals a robust marketplace with diverse opportunities for prime contractors and sub-contractors. The data highlights the continued importance of direct, non-framework contracts, which accounted for the vast majority of the total value.

Of the total, non-framework agreements represented over £92.8 billion across 840 separate notices. This indicates that a substantial volume of defence procurement continues to be conducted through traditional, single-source or competitive tendering for specific projects and requirements, presenting a wide range of immediate opportunities for suppliers across the industry. In parallel, 131 framework agreements were published with a combined value of more than £5.1 billion, offering suppliers routes to establish long-term relationships and secure future workstreams with key defence organisations.

Several high-value frameworks feature prominently, signalling major investment programmes. AWE Plc issued a notice for its LYRA Delivery Partner framework, valued at £400 million. In the logistics and support domain, Leidos Supply Ltd published two significant opportunities: a £250 million framework for the Supply of Overseas Deployable Food and a £106 million notice for On-Water Clothing and Equipment. These highlight the consistent demand for comprehensive through-life support and personnel-focused procurement.

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) also published several strategic frameworks, including a £208 million notice for a Personal Hard Armour framework and a £100 million pipeline notice for Surveillance and Target Acquisition systems, indicating a focus on force protection and advanced C4ISTAR capabilities. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence is seeking to establish a £180 million open framework for Digital Decision Accelerators for Defence (DDAD), reflecting the increasing priority of digital transformation and data-driven capabilities. Infrastructure opportunities were also present, with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation advertising a £90 million construction project related to the F-35 Squadron at RAF Marham. This breadth of procurement activity, from major programmes to essential consumables, underscores the diverse and valuable opportunities available to businesses seeking to operate within the UK defence supply chain.

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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.