2 min read - 23 Mar, 2026
New guide shows how manufacturing SMEs can ready themselves for working in the UK defence sector
Make UK Defence, which represents nearly 900 UK defence manufacturers, and Lloyds have today published a new practical guide for small and medium-sized (SME) businesses looking to position and ready themselves for emerging opportunities in the UK defence sector.
The guide provides SMEs with an overview of the support available to improve their technology adoption and manufacturing output, including routes to market within MOD and the wider supply chain, details of future defence programmes, how they can access finance, and the sector’s accreditation and cyber security requirements.
Make UK Defence’s Director-General Andrew Kinniburgh said the guide “advances the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy by bringing together industry, finance and wider society,” which recognised financial institutions as having a key role to play in strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base.
The publication highlights the success story of West Yorkshire-based CarnaudMetalbox Engineering, which is a significant global player in the beverage can market. Having moved into the defence market following a contraction in the beverage market in 2022, the company won its first defence contract with a major UK prime within months of working with Make UK Defence and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Make UK Defence and Lloyds publish a new practical guide for how manufacturing SMEs can ready themselves for working in the UK defence sector.
The guide has been produced alongside expert partners from across the defence sector, including the MOD’s Defence Office for Small Business Growth, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Hellios Information, and a range of defence service providers under Make UK Defence’s Fit for Defence programme.
Andrew Kinniburgh, Director-General at Make UK Defence, said: “As the UK’s leading champion of the defence supply chain, we know that the sector has incredible potential to be a strong engine for economic growth, with UK defence spending already supporting over 272,000 highly skilled jobs across the country.
“Our latest guide with Lloyds delivers the whole of society ambition within the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which seeks to bring together the defence industry and financial sector to deliver for UK defence.
“To support our national security and our UK economy, we need to encourage companies from across the economy to bring their capabilities into the defence sector, and our guide provides essential information for how companies can achieve compliance, access opportunities and grow their business.”
Dave Atkinson, UK Head of Manufacturing, SME & Mid-Corporates, Lloyds, added: “SME manufacturers across the UK are looking for clarity and practical support as they explore opportunities in the defence sector. What this guide does is signpost points of entry to the sector, helping SMEs understand where they fit, what’s expected of them, and how they can build the capability needed to succeed.
“By working with Make UK Defence and industry partners, we want to help make that journey easier so that firms can scale, grow and thrive as they strengthen the UK’s industrial resilience.”
Download the full report below:
