New energetics factories for the UK
The defence industry is being invited to submit proposals to meet the Government’s requirements for bolstering munitions and energetics production in the UK.
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out the Government’s determination to achieve warfighting readiness through a whole-of-society approach, ensuring Defence is an engine for growth through a new partnership with industry, radical procurement reforms, and backing businesses to establish and grow in the UK.
A key pledge of the SDR is to establish a sovereign, ‘always on’ pipeline for munitions supply, including building at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK.
Energetic materials and what they’re used for
Energetic materials are substances that rapidly release large amounts of energy. In Defence, they are typically designed to undergo controlled, predictable reactions such as rapid combustion or detonation to produce gases, heat, pressure or light.
They include explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics and are essential components of conventional weapons including small arms, artillery, mortars, countermeasures, bombs, missiles of all sizes and the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
They are at the heart of combined arms operations at scale and are essential to delivering effects for UK Defence.
Which energetic materials are needed?
MOD is requesting proposals from industry for the manufacture of the following energetic materials:
- RDX (Bachman or Woolwich)
- HMX
- Trinitrotoluene (TNT)
- Nitrocellulose (NC)
- Nitroglycerine (NG)
- Nitroguanidine (NQ)
- Hexanitrostilbene (HNS)
- Ammonium Perchlorate (AP)
- Boron Potassium Nitrate (BKNO3)
Other high explosives, propellants, ignitors, detonators or pyrotechnics may be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Supplier criteria
Suppliers should consider:
- The scale of the proposed facility and the market demand required to support it, assuming a range of scenarios such as surge demand and reduced or minimal UK MOD demand.
- Exports and civilian markets. The Government can support export campaigns via the MOD’s Defence Exports team.
- Economic viability including fluctuating demand and market prices as further support funding for facilities is not envisioned.
- The level of investment required (VROM) and how this will be raised, including internal company investment and external venture capital. MOD funding is not expected to form the majority of funding for proposals.
- Wider requirements to establish a facility including regulatory, skills, export support (including UK Export Finance), technology and sites.
- How they will generate UK growth. Companies with established order books/markets will be prioritised.
For viable proposals, further support may be available in identifying sites, engaging with regulators, export support, energy relief under the Energy Intensive Industries (EII) Relief Scheme, and access to research and development funding sources.
Funding
The MOD aims to make investments in onshore energetic materials synthesis through UK-based or overseas-based suppliers.
These investments will typically form part, but not all, of the funding required for the establishment of a new facility.
Next steps and timeline
Next steps are for suppliers to register their interest in one-to-one engagements with MOD via the Defence Sourcing Portal using the SDR Energetics - Information Notice. Companies should provide a 15-minute pitch covering proposed materials, scale and approach to manufacture, as well as economic viability.
Proposals which demonstrate initial technical, financial and economic viability will be invited to complete a funded feasibility study, subject to commercial and affordability requirements. Details of what is involved in this feasibility study will be provided in the initial meeting.
Companies that continue to demonstrate technical and financial credibility and a commercially viable proposition will be invited to complete a funded Front End Engineering Design (FEED).
Following successful competition of a FEED, and on final agreement of wider commercial terms required for investment, a contract may be placed for MOD investment into the production facility (factory).
Timelines will be dependent on the complexity of the proposals. MOD anticipates that construction of the first new energetics of munitions factory will begin in 2026.