The UK Ministry of Defence is making it easier for startups and small companies to access its network of test and evaluation ranges, even if they don’t already have a sponsor inside the department.
In response to a question in Parliament, Defence Minister Maria Eagle said that small and medium-sized enterprises play a key role in both economic growth and defence innovation. She confirmed that firms without existing MoD ties can now apply to use many test ranges through the Test, Trials, Training and Evaluation (T3E) Service, which is run by QinetiQ on the department’s behalf.
The change is part of a broader effort to modernise how the UK tests and evaluates new technologies. It sits within the Defence Industrial Strategy and the MoD’s Test and Evaluation Transformation Programme, which aims to open up military infrastructure to a wider range of innovators.
Eagle said the department is “reviewing how best to support SMEs with access to relevant test facilities,” including sites managed both by the MoD and commercial operators.
For startups and tech firms trying to break into defence, the move could reduce some of the traditional barriers—like not having a government sponsor or long-established prime contractor connections. More open access means faster iteration, earlier validation, and fewer bureaucratic dead ends for companies building new tools, systems, and platforms.
UK-based SMEs can learn more or start the application process via the T3E portal.
