The Ministry of Defence is inviting UK-registered suppliers to help shape the future of its Test and Evaluation (T&E) capability – but the window to register is short, with the deadline falling at noon on 12 May 2026.
The preliminary market engagement, published on 28 April under the Procurement Act 2023, relates to the Strategic Test & Evaluation Portfolio (STEP) – a programme covering a ten-year contract period from 2033 to 2043. The MoD is not yet at the point of issuing a formal tender, but is actively seeking industry input to inform what that requirement will look like.
Why This Engagement Matters
T&E sits at the heart of every defence equipment programme. Before anything enters service – from missiles to vehicles to software – it must be tested to confirm it works as intended and is fit for purpose. Historically, T&E has been treated primarily as an equipment acceptance function, but the MoD’s new T&E Transformation Programme is seeking to go further, exploring how innovative technologies can make T&E a source of military advantage in its own right.
That shift in ambition means the MoD needs a clearer picture of what industry can actually deliver – which is precisely what this engagement is designed to capture.
What the MoD Is Asking For
The MoD has developed a Taxonomy Data Capture Tool and is asking interested suppliers to populate it with details of their capabilities, capacity and skills. The data gathered will be used to align the future T&E requirement with genuine market supply, identify supplier-owned capabilities that could meet defence needs, and populate a new MoD T&E Marketplace Digital Platform.
In practical terms, this is a rare opportunity for suppliers – including those who may not have previously engaged with T&E procurement – to put their capabilities directly in front of the team designing the future programme.
How to Register
Only UK-registered companies are eligible to participate. To register, suppliers must respond to the Prior Information Notice with their Companies House Registration Number and contact details to:
NAD-Strategic-TE-Portfolio@mod.gov.uk
The deadline is 12:00 noon GMT on 12 May 2026. Following successful registration, the Taxonomy Data Capture Tool will be issued within 48 hours, with suppliers then given six weeks to complete their submission.
Who Should Be Paying Attention
Any UK business providing testing, evaluation, trials, simulation, instrumentation, data analysis or related services to the defence sector should be considering whether to engage. Given the ten-year contract horizon and the MoD’s stated intent to modernise how T&E is delivered, this is a formative moment – the kind of early market engagement where supplier input genuinely influences how requirements are written and how the eventual competition is structured.
Businesses that engage now will also have their details captured for the new T&E Marketplace Digital Platform, giving them visibility with the MoD’s procurement teams ahead of any formal procurement process.
