The new programme seeks to revolutionise access to the UK’s sovereign Test and Evaluation (T&E) facilities for SMEs, creating an agile environment to prove and deliver new technologies into service faster. This initiative is set to remove long-standing bureaucratic barriers that have hindered companies, particularly those new to the defence sector, from testing their innovations in real-life scenarios.
Project Safari will provide a single point of contact for SMEs seeking access to UK sites, streamlining approval processes for trial activities. This smoother route is expected to support jobs and investment in local economies, fostering growth across the country. The programme aligns with the government's commitment to support SMEs, with an additional £2.5 billion to be invested annually by 2028.
Technologies such as hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons, and autonomous systems will be assessed and refined more rapidly. The MOD and QinetiQ aim to transform how defence capabilities are tested and evaluated to match the pace of modern warfare.
“"We know that limited access to test and evaluation facilities have been holding back smaller businesses and new entrants from working with defence. By working hand-in-hand with QinetiQ, we are unlocking British innovation by developing, testing and delivering military capabilities for the UK and our allies at speed."
“"Turning ideas into trusted frontline capability faster than our adversaries is what delivers military advantage and we’ve got to go faster to stay ahead. Project Safari will transform how the UK approves new technologies, creating a world-leading test and evaluation enterprise that helps government, industry and regulators work together to accelerate the delivery of military capability at the pace demanded by modern warfare."
During a visit to MOD Hebrides, the UK’s largest weapons test range, Luke Pollard MP signed an agreement with QinetiQ for the initial design phase of a multimillion-pound investment to develop the site for testing hypersonic missiles and other advanced technologies. He was joined by QinetiQ CEO, Steve Wadey, to host a roundtable with SME representatives, including Greenjets and Cambridge Aerospace, to discuss their experiences and the barriers they face in accessing T&E services. Luke Pollard MP also met with MGI Engineering, an Oxfordshire-based SME developing low-cost long-range weapons for Ukraine, who are competing in Project Brakestop.
Project Safari is a practical demonstration of the ambitions set out in the Strategic Defence Review, which committed defence to increasing its spend with SMEs by £2.5 billion a year by summer 2028. This announcement builds on the Defence Investment Plan, backed by £298 billion of funding over the next four years, aimed at driving sustained investment across British industry and ensuring the UK’s defence sector remains a cornerstone of the country’s economic renewal.
