Where acquisition reform meets real delivery
The Commercial Transformation Zone at DPRTE Expo is where MOD's biggest shift in how it buys defence capability gets put into practice. Backed by £900m for procurement reform — including a £500m Transformation Fund for AI and workforce productivity — this zone unpacks the new commercial operating model, the Segmented Acquisition Model and its six Commercial Pathways, and what they mean for anyone bidding for MOD work.
It's also where the conversation moves beyond traditional contracting: outcome- and availability-based frameworks, collaborative and alliance models, and how risk is allocated when pricing novel capability or committing to decades-long platforms. With a £400m contribution to the new Multilateral Defence Mechanism and fresh routes for private capital through the Defence Investment Unit, the commercial landscape is changing fast.
This zone brings MOD commercial leads, primes and advisers together to give attendees a practical read on the reform programme — and on what social value beyond the tick-box, and the next generation of MOD buyers, will actually look like.
£900m is being spent to change how MOD buys — not just what it buys. Understanding the Commercial Pathways, outcome-based contracting and where private capital now enters the picture is fast becoming essential knowledge for every supplier bidding into defence.
How MOD is changing the way it buys
Commercial Operating Model & Pathways
Inside MOD's new commercial operating model — commercial skills, category management and contracting authority — plus a practical walkthrough of the Segmented Acquisition Model's six Commercial Pathways, one year on.
Outcome- & Risk-Shared Contracting
How outcome- and availability-based frameworks, and collaborative or alliance contracting models, are reshaping risk allocation and pricing for novel capability and decades-long platforms.
Private Capital & Social Value
New front doors for private capital via the Defence Investment Unit and Defence Investors' Advisory Group — and how social value is moving beyond the tick-box to build the next generation of MOD buyers.
Be part of the conversation
Join the Commercial Transformation Zone at DPRTE Expo 2027, 23–24 March, Farnborough International.