Defence Support Innovation Challenge
Guidance for applicants
Can you help the Ministry of Defence deliver better resilience of equipment, workforce and platforms?
Submission: Friday 5 May 2023 (12:00)
Support Innovation Challenge: Thursday 18 May 2023 (evening)
Update: SIC pre-brief webinar – 3 May
Wg Cdr Jayne Bradbury and Maj Dan Smith from the SupportNet23 organising team will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday 3 May (10:00 – 11:00). They’ll explain how the SIC works and answer any questions that those who have applied or are interested in applying may have.
The webinar will be held on MS Teams:
· Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
· Click here to join the meeting
· Meeting ID: 328 390 095 368
· Passcode: Fteffh
· Download Teams | Join on the web
· Or call in (audio only)
· +44 20 3443 8728,,941900157# United Kingdom, London
· Phone Conference ID: 941 900 157#
· Find a local number | Reset PIN
· Learn More | Meeting options
Introduction
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is running the Support Innovation Challenge (SIC) and wants to hear from you. Established by the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS), Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw, the SIC is an opportunity to make your innovative ideas land whilst getting face time with some big names in Defence.
This challenge is part of the SupportNet23 conference, which is taking place on 18/19 May 2023. SupportNet is UK Defence’s leading conference for Support professionals. This year’s event focuses on ‘Building Greater Resilience’; a theme covered in the Defence Support Strategy.
The challenge is open to individuals and teams with an innovative idea to share, from both within and outside of Defence. Teams are welcome to submit an idea, with the opportunity for 2 representatives to pitch to a board of expert panellists.
If you have an innovative idea on how we can build greater resilience for Defence we want to hear from you.
This brief sets out the specific question we want you to tackle and the submission process. The deadline for initial submission is the 5 May 2023 at 12:00, and if successful you will need to be available to present your idea to an expert panel during the evening of 18 May 2023.
If, after reading the brief, you have any questions please contact [email protected].
The brief
Consecutive global disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ever-Given blocking of the Suez Canal, the war in Ukraine and the environmental threats borne from climate change, have highlighted the fragile nature of the Support network in Defence and industry. These disruptions alongside ongoing workforce and financial pressures are combining to create a more challenging environment. All these factors, coupled with the deteriorating global geo-political situation, has created the imperative to deliver greater resilience to ensure that Defence is fit to fight both the current and future fight. It is increasingly important for Defence, alongside other organisations, to examine how they can become more resilient in order to weather such events and maintain operations.
The MOD is seeking ideas on how it might build greater resilience by exploiting more innovative technologies and approaches.
We want to hear your pitches to the following question:
The challenge:
How can greater resilience be achieved within either logistics, engineering or equipment support for the Ministry of Defence?
What areas do you think we can:
- Do it better – improve on current practices.
- Do it differently – make a generational leap in what we currently do.
- Do something else – be radical and think of new ways to deliver improved outputs.
Resilience can be achieved through many forms. Some example areas are:
- Operational resilience – through organisational awareness and improvement.
- Supply chain resilience – through network design and risk mitigation.
- Information resilience – through effective lifecycle management of information.
- Workforce resilience – through planning and policies to optimise our people.
The brief is intentionally broad, but submissions will be assessed on applicability to the Defence Support Strategy.
Proposals will be judged with the following areas in mind:
- Potential impact
- Ease of introduction
- Radical nature of approach
The process
Stage 1: Submission
Submit one page outlining your proposal on how greater resilience could be delivered.
- Submission deadline: Friday 5 May by 12:00.
- Submit to: [email protected]
You will be notified a week after closing date.
Stage 2: The Support Innovation Challenge
If successful, on the evening of Thursday 18 May 2023, you will pitch your idea to a panel of Defence and Commercial experts! This includes CDLS Lt Gen Wardlaw, who is responsible for developing, cohering and assuring all support across Defence.
The format for the presentations is as follows:
- 1-2 people present per team,
- Each team will have a 10 minute slot:
- 3 minutes set up,
- 5 minutes pitch,
- 2 minutes Q&A from the expert panellists.
- It is recommended your presentation is no more than 4-5 slides.
The event will be held at the Radisson Red hotel at London Heathrow, the venue for SupportNet23. One extra person per team (e.g. a line manager) may attend the Dragons Den event as a spectator. The idea must be new (e.g. it should not have been pitched to the MOD before or be a modified proposal from one that has previously been submitted).
The prize
All successful participants will get access to an expert panel of senior Support professionals and innovators. The expert panel will decide and announce the winner of the competition on the night. The winning team will be presented with £1000 and a trophy.
The winning team’s idea will be taken on to a Ministry of Defence (MOD) feasibility study that will assess the merits of the concept and investigate how likely it is that the idea could be implemented in practise for the MOD.
Please note there is no contractual obligation on behalf of the MOD to implement the winning idea.
Guidance for applicants
Can you help the Ministry of Defence deliver better resilience of equipment, workforce and platforms?
Submission: Friday 5 May 2023 (12:00)
Support Innovation Challenge: Thursday 18 May 2023 (evening)
Update: SIC pre-brief webinar – 3 May
Wg Cdr Jayne Bradbury and Maj Dan Smith from the SupportNet23 organising team will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday 3 May (10:00 – 11:00). They’ll explain how the SIC works and answer any questions that those who have applied or are interested in applying may have.
The webinar will be held on MS Teams:
· Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
· Click here to join the meeting
· Meeting ID: 328 390 095 368
· Passcode: Fteffh
· Download Teams | Join on the web
· Or call in (audio only)
· +44 20 3443 8728,,941900157# United Kingdom, London
· Phone Conference ID: 941 900 157#
· Find a local number | Reset PIN
· Learn More | Meeting options
Introduction
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is running the Support Innovation Challenge (SIC) and wants to hear from you. Established by the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS), Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw, the SIC is an opportunity to make your innovative ideas land whilst getting face time with some big names in Defence.
This challenge is part of the SupportNet23 conference, which is taking place on 18/19 May 2023. SupportNet is UK Defence’s leading conference for Support professionals. This year’s event focuses on ‘Building Greater Resilience’; a theme covered in the Defence Support Strategy.
The challenge is open to individuals and teams with an innovative idea to share, from both within and outside of Defence. Teams are welcome to submit an idea, with the opportunity for 2 representatives to pitch to a board of expert panellists.
If you have an innovative idea on how we can build greater resilience for Defence we want to hear from you.
This brief sets out the specific question we want you to tackle and the submission process. The deadline for initial submission is the 5 May 2023 at 12:00, and if successful you will need to be available to present your idea to an expert panel during the evening of 18 May 2023.
If, after reading the brief, you have any questions please contact [email protected].
The brief
Consecutive global disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ever-Given blocking of the Suez Canal, the war in Ukraine and the environmental threats borne from climate change, have highlighted the fragile nature of the Support network in Defence and industry. These disruptions alongside ongoing workforce and financial pressures are combining to create a more challenging environment. All these factors, coupled with the deteriorating global geo-political situation, has created the imperative to deliver greater resilience to ensure that Defence is fit to fight both the current and future fight. It is increasingly important for Defence, alongside other organisations, to examine how they can become more resilient in order to weather such events and maintain operations.
The MOD is seeking ideas on how it might build greater resilience by exploiting more innovative technologies and approaches.
We want to hear your pitches to the following question:
| The challenge: How can greater resilience be achieved within either logistics, engineering or equipment support for the Ministry of Defence? |
What areas do you think we can:
- Do it better – improve on current practices.
- Do it differently – make a generational leap in what we currently do.
- Do something else – be radical and think of new ways to deliver improved outputs.
Resilience can be achieved through many forms. Some example areas are:
- Operational resilience – through organisational awareness and improvement.
- Supply chain resilience – through network design and risk mitigation.
- Information resilience – through effective lifecycle management of information.
- Workforce resilience – through planning and policies to optimise our people.
The brief is intentionally broad, but submissions will be assessed on applicability to the Defence Support Strategy.
Proposals will be judged with the following areas in mind:
- Potential impact
- Ease of introduction
- Radical nature of approach
The process
Stage 1: Submission
Submit one page outlining your proposal on how greater resilience could be delivered.
- Submission deadline: Friday 5 May by 12:00.
- Submit to: [email protected]
You will be notified a week after closing date.
Stage 2: The Support Innovation Challenge
If successful, on the evening of Thursday 18 May 2023, you will pitch your idea to a panel of Defence and Commercial experts! This includes CDLS Lt Gen Wardlaw, who is responsible for developing, cohering and assuring all support across Defence.
The format for the presentations is as follows:
- 1-2 people present per team,
- Each team will have a 10 minute slot:
- 3 minutes set up,
- 5 minutes pitch,
- 2 minutes Q&A from the expert panellists.
- It is recommended your presentation is no more than 4-5 slides.
The event will be held at the Radisson Red hotel at London Heathrow, the venue for SupportNet23. One extra person per team (e.g. a line manager) may attend the Dragons Den event as a spectator. The idea must be new (e.g. it should not have been pitched to the MOD before or be a modified proposal from one that has previously been submitted).
The prize
All successful participants will get access to an expert panel of senior Support professionals and innovators. The expert panel will decide and announce the winner of the competition on the night. The winning team will be presented with £1000 and a trophy.
The winning team’s idea will be taken on to a Ministry of Defence (MOD) feasibility study that will assess the merits of the concept and investigate how likely it is that the idea could be implemented in practise for the MOD.
Please note there is no contractual obligation on behalf of the MOD to implement the winning idea.