Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized technology companies in the early stages of development within the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting micro, small and medium-sized technology companies. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy the department will foster a more diverse community of suppliers, including non-traditional suppliers, through reducing barriers to entry and setting the conditions that unlock the full potential of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

One of the ways we are already doing this is through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) with its remit to find and fund suppliers to deliver innovative projects to meet UK defence and security challenges. DASA also supports funded SMEs with additional business services to help scale up and commercialise their innovative ideas.