DefenceLens

MOD tenders: live Ministry of Defence contract opportunities

Every Ministry of Defence tender is published on the UK’s official Find a Tender service — but it sits alongside tens of thousands of notices from every other public buyer. DefenceLens scans Find a Tender every 30 minutes, keeps only defence and security notices, and tracks each one from pipeline to award. This page shows the live picture for MOD-named buyers.

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MOD notices tracked
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MOD contract awards recorded

Latest open MOD tenders

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How to find MOD tenders

  1. Start from the official record. Find a Tender is the legally mandated home of UK public procurement notices; anything else is a re-publication of it. Defence and security contracts may also be procured under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 — see our glossary for what each notice type means.
  2. Search by buyer family, not just “MOD”. Ministry of Defence, DE&S, Dstl, DIO, DASA and the Submarine Delivery Agency all buy separately. A buyer-only search on the department misses most of the market.
  3. Watch the pipeline, not just open tenders. Pipeline and planned-procurement notices under the Procurement Act 2023 tell you what’s coming months before the tender — the bids you win are usually the ones you saw early.
  4. Study who’s winning. Award notices name the winning supplier and value. That tells you which competitors hold which contracts, when they expire, and where a first-time winner just broke in — see who’s winning defence contracts.

MOD tenders — frequently asked questions

Where are MOD tenders published?
Since the Procurement Act 2023 took effect, UK public contract notices — including Ministry of Defence tenders — are published on the Find a Tender service (FTS). The MOD also runs the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) for supplier engagement and some below-threshold opportunities. DefenceLens scans Find a Tender every 30 minutes and links each notice back to the official source.
How do I find MOD tenders relevant to my business?
Filter by buyer (Ministry of Defence, DE&S, Dstl, DIO), by CPV code (the 35xxxxxx range covers military equipment), or by keyword. On DefenceLens you can combine all three and restrict results to open opportunities with a live deadline.
Do I need security clearance to bid for MOD contracts?
Not for every contract. Requirements vary by contract: many support, facilities and supply contracts need no clearance at bid stage, while others require facility or personnel clearance before or after award. Each notice sets out its own conditions of participation — always check the official notice.
What is the difference between the MOD, DE&S and Dstl as buyers?
The Ministry of Defence is the department itself; Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) buys and supports equipment for the armed forces; the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) buys research and innovation; the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) buys estates and construction; and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) funds innovative proposals. All publish through Find a Tender.
Can small businesses win MOD contracts?
Yes — the MOD has published SME action plans and awards contracts to first-time suppliers regularly. DefenceLens flags first-time winners in its award data, which is a useful signal of how open a market segment is to new entrants.

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