Key Developments
On 10 October 2026, HM Government announced Project Safari, a Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ initiative to improve SME access to defence test and evaluation facilities. The programme aimed to simplify trial approvals and accelerate front-line use of advanced systems, including hypersonic missiles and autonomous technologies, according to HM Government.
Key Statistics
- £2.5 billion planned annual increase in UK defence spending with SMEs, according to HM Government
- £298 billion in defence investment plan funding referenced by HM Government
- £350,000 maximum funding for successful Security Open Call proposals, according to HM Government
- 12 months maximum duration for funded Security Open Call projects, according to HM Government
Main Body
On 10 October 2026, HM Government announced Project Safari, a Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ programme designed to widen small and medium-sized enterprise access to UK defence test and evaluation facilities. The initiative formed part of the government’s plan to increase annual defence spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion, according to HM Government.
HM Government said the programme would streamline approval processes for trial activity and help move advanced military technologies more quickly towards front-line use. The technologies identified by HM Government included hypersonic missiles and autonomous systems, both of which require access to specialist testing environments before operational adoption.
The announcement followed other UK innovation and readiness measures in October 2026. On 1 October 2026, HM Government said UK Defence Innovation and the Department for Transport had opened a Security Open Call cycle seeking technologies for transport security and resilience, with funding of up to £350,000 for successful proposals. On the same date, HM Government announced a £190 million Airbus support deal intended to improve RAF A400M Atlas availability.
The practical significance of Project Safari was that it addressed the administrative route between defence innovators and operational users, according to HM Government. By connecting SMEs to test and evaluation capacity, the programme supported the government’s wider defence industrial approach, which HM Government linked to a £298 billion defence investment plan for equipment and technology.
