Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of the premium service of Defence Contracts Online and Chapter 10 of NATO's Security Procedures.

It is MOD policy to advertise through Defence Contracts Online all requirements for goods, services or works valued at £10,000 and above, unless the requirement meets the approved grounds for exclusion. One such ground for exclusion is on National Security grounds where an exemption from advertising also applies. Our adverts are formatted to prevent the release of sensitive information; NATO security requirements are also accounted for as part of this process. Registered users have free access to Defence Contracts Online which is provided under contract to the MOD by BiP Solutions.

BiP solutions also offer a “premium service” called Defence Contracts International (DCI). This is not sponsored by the MOD and is purely a commercial venture entirely separate from the the Defence Contracts Online platform provided for the MOD. We understand that the opportunities advertised through DCI are lifted directly from a number of international defence advertising platforms, including Defence Contracts Online.