UKTI DSO SME support and services

UKTI DSO services and support are available to UK SMEs that have completely exhausted the online support provided via this website or are unable to find solutions to their particular issues.

UKTI DSO will offer advice, information and support on a one to one basis or as part of a wider project, as appropriate.

A full summary of UKTI DSO capabilities is shown below.

Regional Directorates

UKTI DSO has two teams of regional marketing advisers, collectively covering the globe. They can help you interpret requirements, highlight opportunities, and actively assist with your overseas marketing activities.

UKTI DSO Regional Directorate Map

They can provide specialist advice through their own knowledge and access to the wider UKTI network (both in the UK and overseas) including their own specialist embedded UK military personnel, access to defence and security experts based in several UK Embassies, High Commissions overseas, and other Government Departments.

Market Analysis

Analysis of the global defence export market is carried out by a specialist team within UKTI DSO Business Development.

As well as producing regional assessments covering prospects in the land, naval and air sectors, the team also carries out competitor analysis and maintains detailed statistics covering UK and competitor defence and security exports and trends. You can contact the Market Analysis Team to discuss business requirements

Please note that a charge is made for commissioned market assessments.

Military Advice

For companies in both the defence and security sectors, access to objective advice and support on military doctrine, equipment and services can be invaluable. UKTI DSO military staff officers have expertise covering the full range of military capabilities and wide-ranging experience often gained in operational environments.

As well as providing help and advice to UKTI colleagues and industry, they are able to engage readily and easily with foreign counterparts and provide direct military-to-military advice in support of UK products and services.

Military Support: The Export Support Team

Export Support Team

In addition to providing military advice at a senior level UKTI DSO’s Export Support Team(EST) can provide a more practical, hands-on service to SMEs. The EST consists of British Army soldiers serving with the Royal Engineers, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Artillery and Infantry, all of which have seen recent active operational service. The EST can offer objective advice on equipment designed for front-line use, display and demonstrate UK kit and support companies at home and overseas military exhibitions, provide a suitable environment and manpower for promotional videos, offer after-sales training and much more.

Military Support: Defence & Security Industry Days

Defence and Security Days (DSID) allow industry to display its technology and products onboard a Royal Navy warship. This provides the benefits of effectively being on UK soil in a foreign country allied to a stimulating and dynamic backdrop for defence related sales.

These events are often preceded by a reception the night before where companies can network prior to the half day DSID, which usually hosts 8 – 12 companies. DSID offer the opportunity for UKTI DSO supported engagement with a targeted and influential audience, individual company displays, ship tours and a networking opportunity over lunch.

Opportunities are identified by DSO liaising with the Royal Navy and advertised to companies in A|D|S and other trade bulletins and through the members’ area of the UKTI DSO website. If you have a specific region of interest then you can also enquire whether there are any DSID opportunities planned for it in the next 6 months. Once you have registered interest the relevant DSO Desk Officer will guide you through the planning and set up for the event as well as providing support on the day.

The base cost of a DSID is £1250 + VAT however, it is also possible to request a Private Company Visit (PCV), which provides a similar event for up to 3 companies without the reception or catering support of the ship for a base cost of £500 + VAT

As DSID take place on operational warships it must be remembered that they can be cancelled at short notice due to higher priority commitments.

• For further information contact tim.green1@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

Relationships with UK Prime Contractors

Supplying, or sub-contracting to, UK prime contractors is an extremely effective way for smaller companies to break into the export market.

Through a Key Account Management (KAM) initiative we maintain a formalised, regular and senior-level engagement with most of the UK’s major primes. This allows us to focus available UKTI DSO resources to provide the best level of co-ordinated support to future campaigns and long-term projects through the market positioning of emerging systems/equipments and engagement with the Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments playing a vital role in helping these companies win major overseas contracts in the past.

An important spin-off of this more focused relationship with primes is the means to encourage and help SMEs gain easier access to prime contractors and any such opportunities will be promoted on the UKTI website.

UKTI DSO Medium Size Business (MSB) Engagement

Focusing on Medium Size Businesses (MSBs) (companies that essentially fall between the SME/KAM category), UKTI DSO’s MSB Team has developed an engagement model to help identify, develop and establish strategic relationships with companies that are new to DSO and have defence and security export potential,.

• Contact: UKTI DSO Support to Business - +44 (0)20 7215 8337

Exportability

The Ministry of Defence’s White Paper – National Security Through Technology – specifically emphasised the need for exports to support sustainment of the UK defence and security industrial base and the need for products and services to be exportable. UKTI DSO is able to offer exportability advice and guidance to industry and the appropriate Governmental Departments. This will help to identify suitable programmes for exportability consideration and will assist industry in identifying potential customers at a relatively early stage in the procurement cycle.

• Contact – UKTI DSO Exportability Policy Adviser +44 (0)20 7215 8193

Events & Exhibitions Support

UKTI DSO has a dedicated team providing facilities for HM Government to assist UK industry at defence and security exhibitions in the UK and overseas. Exhibitions are used as a focal point for visiting UK Ministers and Service Chiefs and also to showcase equipment in an innovative environment with the use of the UKTI DSO’s military Export Support Team. Prior to and during each event the Events team works with UK trade associations, UK industry, exhibition organisers and foreign Governments to secure visits by overseas delegations to UK companies. The team aims to ensure that each exhibition is regarded as a success for the UK and emphasises UK attendance at events worldwide. Details of UK and overseas events are on the Access New Markets page.

UKTI DSO Contacts

If you have not found what you were looking for in this section of the site or, you require further advice or individual support please do not hesitate to contact us. Please use the UKTI DSO Small Business Unit (SBU) as a first port of call. We will be happy to provide you with the information you seek or introduce you to the UKTI DSO colleagues that can help take your business forward

• You can contact the SBU at sme.enquiries@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

• Alternatively you can download a copy of the UKTI DSO Contacts Directory .