Training & professional development
Building the capability of the professionals who compete and win in the UK defence market — structured professional development grounded in The Strategical Playbook and delivered at the University of Cambridge.
wHAT IT IS
Strategical Business Winning training is a structured professional development programme for individuals working in — or moving into — defence business winning functions. It is the only certification framework built specifically for the UK defence market, grounded in a practitioner methodology developed from direct experience on UK defence campaigns and bids.
The programme spans four levels — Foundation, Practitioner, Senior Practitioner, and Fellowship — and is built directly on The Strategical Playbook: Competing and Winning in the UK Defence Market. Every module, every exercise, and every technique maps to the same four-discipline methodology that underpins every Strategical advisory engagement. Delegates are not learning a theoretical framework. They are learning the method that has been applied on business winning endeavours across the full spectrum of UK defence - from SME supply chain entry and first MOD contract wins through to prime-level competitions valued in the hundreds of millions.
The flagship delivery format is a residential cohort programme at the University of Cambridge. Delegates work intensively through the methodology away from the day-to-day, with expert faculty, structured group exercises, and applied tool work using the Strategical Toolkit. The Cambridge setting is deliberate. It creates the conditions for serious learning and peer exchange that classroom or online training cannot replicate.
Four Levels of training & development
Four levels. A single progressive standard for professional competence in UK defence business winning.
Foundation - The structured entry point. Foundation covers the core concepts of all four disciplines, provides working knowledge of the UK defence procurement landscape, and introduces the Strategical Toolkit. Designed for those entering the profession, moving into customer-facing roles from technical backgrounds, or building structured capability for the first time.
Practitioner - Active, independent application of the four disciplines in a professional context. The Practitioner level operates across two tracks — Bid and Campaign — reflecting the reality that practitioners typically develop depth in one area before the other. The Bid track builds outward from proposal and bid expertise into broader campaign capability. The Campaign track builds outward from BD and campaign management into stronger execution discipline. Both tracks converge on the same Practitioner standard.
Senior Practitioner - Strategic application of the methodology at portfolio level. Senior Practitioners direct others in the use of the four disciplines, make high-stakes qualification and bid investment decisions, and manage complex multi-stakeholder campaigns across a pursuit portfolio. Appropriate for BD Directors, Campaign Directors, and Capture Managers with significant pipeline responsibility.
Fellowship - Awarded by the Strategical Fellowship Committee for distinguished contribution to the practice of defence business winning. Fellowship recognises a combination of career achievement, methodology advancement, and contribution to the professional community. It is not awarded by examination alone.
THE cambridge programme
The setting is deliberate. Cambridge creates the conditions for serious, focused professional development that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom or online environment. Away from the demands of the day-to-day, delegates work intensively through the full Strategical methodology — across all four disciplines, applied to real scenarios using the 16-tool Strategical Toolkit. The peer cohort is part of the design: practitioners drawn from across the UK defence sector, working through the same material at the same level, building relationships that outlast the programme.
Expert instructors bring direct experience from senior UK defence business winning and government decision-making. Every delegate leaves with a personal copy of The Strategical Playbook and the complete 16-tool Strategical Toolkit.
Accommodation is included. The programme includes a formal dinner - the kind of peer conversation that only happens when serious professionals are given the time and environment to have it.
The programme content is structured directly from The Strategical Playbook. Foundation cohorts cover the core concepts of all four disciplines from market assessment, stakeholder engagement, proposal principles, and the delivery transition mindset. Practitioner cohorts go deeper: Bid Track delegates develop mastery across Chapters 10–13 of the Playbook and operate the full Proposal Execution tool suite independently; Campaign Track delegates work through Chapters 1–9 and run a complete competitive positioning cycle using the six Competitive Positioning tools. Senior Practitioner cohorts are kept deliberately small — six to ten delegates — and stress-test portfolio-level decision-making through complex multi-campaign scenarios rather than re-teaching methodology.
Format: Residential cohort. Open cohort and dedicated in-house formats available. Maximum 12 delegates for open cohorts; 6–10 for Senior Practitioner. Fees scoped to delegate numbers and delivery format.
The right format for your organisation
Every cohort is different. We work with organisations of all sizes — from individuals attending an open programme through to large BD functions requiring dedicated in-house delivery. The format is scoped to your team, your location, and your objectives.
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Our flagship format. A residential cohort programme delivered on the Cambridge University campus — open to practitioners from across the UK defence sector. Delegates work alongside peers from multiple organisations, building relationships and networks that outlast the programme.
— Two-day residential intensive — Maximum 12 delegates per cohort — Accommodation and formal dinner included — Expert faculty from UK MOD, prime contractor, and SME backgrounds — The Strategical Playbook and 16-tool Toolkit provided to all delegates
Ideal for individuals and small teams
IN-HOUSE ( Your Site or Cambridge )
A programme designed and delivered exclusively for your organisation — calibrated to your market position, capability gaps, and live pursuit context. Delivered at your site or as a residential programme at Cambridge. Pricing is structured around delegate numbers and location.
— Content tailored to your organisation's campaigns and tools — Delivered at your premises or at Cambridge — Any certification level — Foundation through Senior Practitioner — Suitable for teams of 6 or more — Cohort size and duration scoped to your requirements
Ideal for BD teams and business winning functions looking to enter defence or upskill
PARTNERSHIP ( Defence Clusters & Networks )
Strategical works with regional defence clusters and industry networks to deliver cohort programmes close to where your people work. Cluster delivery brings structured professional development to your region, enabling SMEs and local businesses to access the programme without the cost of a dedicated in-house cohort.
— Delivered at cluster venues across the UK — Open to member organisations within the cluster — Co-branded with your cluster or network — Accessible pricing for qualifying SMEs — Speak to your cluster lead about upcoming cohort dates
Ideal for SMEs and regional defence businesses
Build the capability your business needs to compete and win.
Whether you're developing an individual practitioner, building out a team, or investing in the professional capability of an entire business winning function — we'd like to hear from you. All programmes are scoped to your requirements.