About / Why Attend
Everything you need to know
about DPRTE Expo 2027
UK defence is in a period of profound, accelerating change. Record investment, a reshaped procurement landscape and a new urgency around supply chain resilience have fundamentally altered the environment in which buyers and suppliers operate. Understanding what that means — and acting on it — requires access to the right people, the right intelligence, and the right conversations.
DPRTE Expo 2027 provides all three. With 4,000+ delegates on each day, 350+ exhibitors, and direct representation from MOD commercial leads, prime contractors and specialist supply chain partners, it is the most concentrated gathering the UK defence acquisition community has — and the most consequential moment in the defence procurement calendar.
The government's commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence and 1.5% on resilience and wider security is not incremental investment. It represents a step-change in the scale and ambition of the UK's defence programme.
The intelligence and connections needed to navigate a rapidly evolving environment — from new funding streams and contracting models to the relationships that open doors to long-term opportunities.
Direct access to a qualified, engaged audience at precisely the moment when buyers are actively mapping their supply chains against new investment priorities.
Two full days at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre — one of the UK's premier venues with excellent transport links and world-class facilities.
Seven dedicated zones covering Innovation, Infrastructure, CNI, International Collaboration, Supply Chain, UK Industry Growth, and Commercial Transformation.
The Prime Contractor Hub (Make UK) and MOD & Delivery Partners Hub (ADS) give suppliers direct access to buyers — including scheduled one-to-one appointments.
Senior-level plenary sessions featuring government, armed forces, and industry leaders setting the strategic direction for UK defence procurement.
The event that moves
UK defence forward
DPRTE Expo 2027 takes place at a defining moment. The Strategic Defence Review has been implemented. The Defence Industrial Strategy is in motion. The Defence Investment Plan has set out a concrete, long-term programme of investment. The procurement landscape is being reshaped — and the organisations that understand those changes earliest are the ones best placed to benefit from them.
This is not a passive briefing event. DPRTE Expo is where buyers and suppliers meet across two intensive days — where policy is translated into commercial reality, where supply chain gaps are identified and filled, and where the relationships that underpin long-term programme delivery are built.
With 4,000+ delegates each day and 350+ exhibitors, the concentration of decision-making authority at DPRTE Expo is unmatched in the UK defence calendar. MOD commercial leads, primes, Tier 1 contractors, specialist SMEs and policymakers are all present — not as keynote names on a brochure, but as active participants in the same space, available for direct engagement.
DPRTE Expo is the only event in the UK where suppliers can meet, in one place, the full range of MOD procurement officials, delivery partners, and single-service commercial teams actively seeking new suppliers. The Meet the Buyer hubs offer scheduled one-to-one appointments — a level of direct access simply unavailable anywhere else.
The Knowledge Transfer Zone programme is curated specifically to give suppliers advance intelligence on where MOD spending is heading — from the MOD Recapitalisation Plan and estate investment, to innovation funding competitions and the priorities of the Defence Industrial Strategy. Attending means arriving better informed than your competitors.
The UK government has committed to increasing the proportion of defence spend flowing to SMEs. DPRTE Expo is the primary vehicle for making that happen — with the SME Support Hub, dedicated agenda tracks, and a culture that actively champions smaller businesses. If you're an SME looking to break into or grow within defence, DPRTE Expo is the single most effective investment of your time.
From Tier 1 prime contractors to niche component suppliers, from innovation-led startups to international partners — DPRTE Expo brings the entire UK defence supply chain together. The connections made on the exhibition floor and in the networking areas have led to partnerships, contracts, and collaborations that shape major programmes for years to come.
Join 4,000+ defence procurement professionals at Farnborough International on 23–24 March 2027.