Guidance

Previous DefCARS user guidance for defence contractors

This guidance below has been superseded and is for reference purposes only.

• From: Single Source Regulations Office
• Published: 15 March 2017
• Last updated: 10 October 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 10 October 2024

     March 2024 versions added

  2. 20 March 2024

     Versions 11.2 functionality and contract and V9.1 supplier guidance added

  3. 15 February 2023

     V11 of functionality guidance added

  4. 28 September 2022

     Version 11 contractor guidance added

  5. 28 July 2022

     Updated for release of version 11

  6. 26 January 2022

     Version 10 contract and functionality guidance docs added

  7. 20 October 2021

     V9.1 DefCARS functionality guidance and validation checks added

  8. 29 September 2021

     V9.1 reporting guidance added

  9. 26 May 2021

     Version 9 of contract and DefCARS functionality guidance and version 8 of supplier reporting guidance added

  10. 11 November 2020

      Updated for publication of version 9

  11. 24 June 2020

      Version 7 of reporting guidance added

  12. 15 March 2017

      First published.

Earlier versions of the SSRO’s reporting guidance, since the web version of DefCARS was released in March 2017 are below. They remain on the SSRO website for reference purposes.

DefCARS contract guidance

• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 13 published October 2024 (PDF, 3.04 MB, 162 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 12 published March 2024 (PDF, 1.51 MB, 147 pages)
• Contract reporting guidance v12 - tracked changes (PDF, 1.7 MB, 191 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 11.2 published on 19 October 2023 (PDF, 2.88 MB, 137 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 11 published on 28 July 2022 (PDF, 1.1 MB, 140 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 10.1 published on 26 January 2022 (PDF, 1.07 MB, 135 pages)
• Guidance changes published in January 2022 (PDF, 179 KB, 12 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 10 published on 29 September 2021 (PDF, 1.05 MB, 129 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 9.1 published on 26 May 2021 (PDF, 1.04 MB, 124 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 9 published on 11 November 2020 (PDF, 1020 KB, 124 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 8 published on 24 June 2020 (PDF, 1010 KB, 117 pages)
• DefCARS - contract report guidance - Version 7 published on 13 December 2019 (PDF, 956 KB, 110 pages)

DefCARS supplier guidance

• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 11 published October 2024 (PDF, 983 KB, 49 pages)
• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 10 published March 2024 (PDF, 1.76 MB, 54 pages)
• Supplier reporting guidance v10 - tracked changes (PDF, 671 KB, 56 pages)
• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 9.1 published on 19 October 2023 (PDF, 1.64 MB, 51 pages)
• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 8.1 published on 26 May 2021 (PDF, 708 KB, 49 pages)
• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 8 published on 11 November 2020 (PDF, 690 KB, 50 pages)
• DefCARS - supplier report guidance - Version 7 published on 13 December 2019 (PDF, 691 KB, 50 pages)

DefCARS functionality guidance

• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 13 published October 2024 (PDF, 1.58 MB, 24 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 12 published March 2024 (PDF, 3.11 MB, 24 pages)
• DefCARS functionality guidance v12 - tracked changes (PDF, 725 KB, 28 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 11.2 published on 19 October 2023 (PDF, 3.2 MB, 26 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 11 published on 28 July 2022 (PDF, 611 KB, 26 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 10.1 published on 26 January 2022 (PDF, 612 KB, 26 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 10 published on 20 October 2021 (PDF, 3.28 MB, 26 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 9.1 published on 26 May 2021 (PDF, 484 KB, 23 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 9 published on 11 November 2020 (PDF, 477 KB, 23 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 8 published on 24 June 2020 (PDF, 481 KB, 25 pages)
• Guidance on DefCARS functionality - Version 7 published on 13 December 2019 (PDF, 480 KB, 24 pages)

Validations

• DefCARS validation checks – published March 2024 (PDF, 409 KB, 10 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks – published 15 February 2023 (PDF, 269 KB, 11 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks – published 26 January 2022 (PDF, 403 KB, 10 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks Version 10 – published 20 October 2021 (PDF, 403 KB, 10 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks V9.1 – published 26 May 2021 (PDF, 306 KB, 8 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks – published 11 November 2020 (ODS, 38.3 KB)
• DefCARS validation checks – published 24 June 2020 (PDF, 302 KB, 8 pages)
• DefCARS validation checks – published 13 December 2019 (PDF, 293 KB, 9 pages)

Example MI

• Example DefCARS MI products published on 10 October 2024 (PDF, 1.52 MB, 13 pages)
• Example DefCARS MI products published on 24 January 2024 (PDF, 859 KB, 8 pages)

Versions 6-1:

• DefCARS - reporting guidance and system user guide for defence contractors - Version 6 published on 15 May 2019 (PDF, 1.26 MB, 144 pages)
• DefCARS - reporting guidance and system user guide for defence contractors - Version 5 published on 12 December 2018 (PDF, 1.05 MB, 116 pages)
• DefCARS - reporting guidance and system user guide for defence contractors - Version 4 published on 25 July 2018 (PDF, 724 KB, 110 pages)
• DefCARS - reporting guidance and system user guide for defence contractors - Version 3 published on 22 November 2017 (PDF, 2.44 MB, 103 pages)
• DefCARS - reporting guidance and system user guide for defence contractors - Version 2 published on 16 August 2017 (PDF, 2.22 MB, 84 pages)
• DefCARS user guidance for defence contractors – Version 1 published on 15 March 2017. (PDF, 1.04 MB, 54 pages)

Report templates and user guides for DefCARS prior to March 2017 and the previous DPS principles guidance which is now included in the current version of the reporting guidance are also available.