Working with Maritime Defence Primes – Practical Pathways for UK SMEs
October 5, 2026By Seawork Press FP
SMI
Society of Maritime Industries
Share this article
Seawork partner SMI, the Society of Maritime Industries, has announced a brand-new event intended to provide UK SMEs with a clear, practical understanding of how to engage effectively with maritime defence primes.
Primes including BAE and Babcock, The Defence Office for Small Business Growth (DOSBG) and Navy Acquisition will be in attendance during the day-long event.
Taking place on Tuesday 24th November at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the day will focus on:
Where MOD policy and defence reform are heading, and what this means in practice
How primes identify, assess and onboard suppliers
What primes expect from SMEs before, during and after engagement
How SMEs demonstrate credibility, resilience and the ability to scale
How barriers to participation can be addressed collectively by MOD, primes and industry
Tickets now on sale: Working with Maritime Defence Primes – Practical Pathways for UK SMEs.
The event is open both to SMI members and non-members.
Sponsors of Seawork’s Innovation Showcase, the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) is the trade association for the UK’s maritime engineering, science and technology community - looking to enable maritime organisations of all sizes to thrive.
