UK defence SMEs unite under new Spearhead delivery collective

Today, 28 of the UK’s specialist defence and security Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) have launched Spearhead, a new collective organised as one accountable delivery partner for government and industry.

Spearhead has been established by 28 SMEs as a new legal entity, independent of any single member. A collective of vetted UK sovereign SMEs, it is organised as one accountable delivery partner for defence and security.

Every member is vetted and invited based on a proven record of delivering what was agreed, and work is allocated on merit and fit. Pricing is transparent and pass-through, with no hidden supplier layers. All members are UK-owned and UK cleared.

Until now, buyers have faced a choice – going direct to specialist SMEs gives buyers depth and value, but is hard to manage. Going to a large supplier is easy to buy, but it loses both.

Spearhead is set to remove that conundrum: one contract and one accountable team for the buyer, with proven specialist delivery underneath. Spearhead carries the coordination, interfaces, assurance and risk on the buyer’s behalf.

A simpler route to specialist SME capability

The launch comes as the UK Government commits to increasing direct SME spend in defence to £7.5 billion by 2028 and as the MoD’s new SME Commercial Pathway asks commercial teams to reduce the barriers smaller firms face.

Spearhead gives those teams a practical way to act on that ambition. It works as a direct route for the Government and as a ready-made delivery capability for primes assembling a bid.

“For too long, the best specialist capability in this country has been kept out of procurement competitions built for scale. Spearhead exists to change that,” says Oz Lane, Spearhead spokesperson. “We have brought together SMEs who roll their sleeves up and deliver, every one of us is a leader in our own fields, and together we are broad enough to take on the largest programmes without ever losing that depth. And we have organised ourselves so the Government can reach all of it through one accountable force.”

Spearhead will be at the UK’s biennial defence industry exhibition, DVD 2026 – sponsored by the National Armaments Director Group and Army Headquarters – being held 16th-17th September 2026, at UTAC Millbrook.