The Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW) recently hosted an invitation-only working lunch at the House of Lords, kindly supported by Leidos, our long-standing Ambassador Member.

The event brought together senior leaders from across the UK defence industry, including representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and government, to explore how stronger, more structured collaboration with SMEs can drive growth, innovation, and the long-term security of the United Kingdom.

Strengthening Collaboration Across the Defence Supply Chain

The event opened with a welcome from Lord Hannett of Everton, Chairman of ICW, followed by a keynote address from Adam Clarke, Leidos UK CEO. Adam highlighted the critical role SMEs play within the defence supply chain, emphasising that effective collaborative engagement is essential to unlocking specialist capabilities, strengthening operational resilience, and supporting sustainable growth across the sector.

Government Commitment to SME Engagement in Defence

The discussion was further enriched by insights from Lord Vernon Coaker, Minister of State for Defence, who spoke about the vital contribution of the SME community to the UK's defence capability. He outlined the steps the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is taking to make collaboration more accessible for SMEs, including the introduction of a single point of contact initiative, and recognised the important role ICW plays in enabling collaborative working between industry and government.

Enabling Effective Collaboration Through Best Practice

The session concluded with a Q&A led by Frank Lee, CEO of ICW, and Jaynie Davies, Director - Leidos Supply. The discussion explored how organisations such as Leidos are actively supporting effective collaboration with SME partners and showcased the breadth of support ICW provides to help SMEs and larger organisations build stronger, more productive collaborative relationships. This included insights into ICW's defence-focused forums, designed to support knowledge sharing and best practice across the sector.

Building a More Resilient and Inclusive Defence Ecosystem

ICW looks forward to building on the conversations from this event and continuing to support collaborative relationships that strengthen a resilient, inclusive, and innovative UK defence ecosystem - one that fully recognises and enables the contribution of suppliers of all sizes. ICW also provides practical resources to support effective collaborative working, including its dedicated SME Toolkit.