Working With Strategical

Who is Strategical best suited to help? We work with companies seeking to enter, grow, or strengthen their position in the defence and aerospace markets. This includes established defence contractors looking to expand their pipeline, technology firms bringing innovative capabilities to the sector, and international companies seeking to enter the UK market. We're particularly effective for organisations navigating complex procurement environments or preparing for major competitive opportunities.

What size of company do you work with? We work with organisations of all sizes, from SMEs bidding for their first MOD contract to multinational defence primes seeking strategic advantage on major programmes. Our approach is tailored to each client's scale, ambitions, and resources.

Do you work with international clients? Yes. We support international companies looking to enter the UK defence and aerospace market, as well as UK firms seeking to expand overseas. Our team has extensive experience navigating the regulatory, political, and commercial considerations of cross-border defence business.

How do engagements typically begin? We start with a confidential conversation to understand your objectives, challenges, and timelines. From there, we scope a tailored engagement — whether that's ongoing advisory support, a specific consultancy project, or a combination of both. There's no obligation, and initial discussions are always treated with discretion.

Advisory & Consultancy

What's the difference between your advisory and consultancy work? Our advisory work provides ongoing strategic counsel — helping clients navigate decisions, understand their market, and think through opportunities as they arise. It's relationship-based and often retained.

Our consultancy work is project-focused — delivering specific outcomes like a bid submission, campaign plan, or market entry strategy within a defined scope and timeline.

Most clients engage us for both: the ongoing relationship provides strategic continuity, while consultancy projects deliver results when intensive support is needed.

Can I engage you for just a single project? Absolutely. Many client relationships begin with a specific need — a critical bid, a market entry question, or a strategic review. Some evolve into ongoing advisory relationships; others remain project-based. We're structured to work either way.

Do you offer retained advisory arrangements? Yes. For clients who value ongoing access to strategic counsel, we offer retained arrangements that provide regular engagement with our senior team. This works well for organisations navigating a dynamic market or managing multiple opportunities over time.

Who will I actually work with? You'll work directly with our senior team. We don't operate a model where partners sell and junior staff deliver. The people you meet at the outset are the people who'll be working on your account — bringing their experience to bear on your challenges.

Our Services

What is Competitive Bid Support? Our bid support consultancy helps clients craft winning responses to defence and aerospace tenders. We work alongside your team to strengthen bid narratives, sharpen win themes, and ensure your submission resonates with evaluators. We've helped clients achieve perfect scores on high-value bids and secure contracts exceeding £120 million.

What does Campaign Development involve? Campaign development is about positioning your company to win before the formal competition begins. We help you build relationships with key stakeholders, establish credibility with decision-makers, and shape the competitive landscape in your favour. This long-term approach is essential for major defence programmes and has helped our clients secure contracts worth up to £400 million.

How can you help with Government Relations? Defence procurement decisions are influenced by political, policy, and budgetary factors beyond the formal tender process. We help clients understand and navigate the UK defence and security policy landscape, build appropriate relationships across government and Parliament, and ensure their voice is heard on matters affecting their business.

What is Strategy Development? We help clients define where to focus their defence and aerospace growth efforts, and how to get there. This includes market analysis, opportunity identification, competitive positioning, and actionable growth roadmaps. Our strategies are grounded in real-world experience of what works in this sector — and designed to be executed, not shelved.

Getting Started

What should I prepare before our first conversation? Nothing formal is required. It's helpful if you can share some context about your organisation, your ambitions in the defence and aerospace market, and any specific challenges or opportunities you're facing. But an initial conversation is just that — a chance to explore whether and how we might help.

How quickly can you start work? For advisory engagements, we can typically begin immediately. For consultancy projects — particularly bid support — timelines depend on our current commitments and your deadline. If you're facing a time-critical opportunity, let us know early and we'll do our best to accommodate.

What are your fees? Our fees depend on the nature and scope of the engagement. Advisory retainers, consultancy projects, and bid support are each priced differently. We're always transparent about costs upfront, and we're happy to discuss budget expectations in our initial conversation.

Is our discussion confidential? Yes. All client conversations are treated with strict confidentiality. We understand the sensitivity of defence business development and the importance of discretion — it's fundamental to how we operate.

About Our Team

What is your team's background? Our team brings direct experience from the highest levels of the defence industry, Armed Forces, and government. Our consultants include a former BAE Systems strategist, retired senior military officers including a Major-General and Air Vice-Marshal, and engineering directors from FTSE-100 defence companies. This blend of operational, commercial, political, and technical experience is what sets our advice apart.

Why work with advisors and consultants rather than building in-house capability? Building genuine defence market expertise takes years. Our clients gain immediate access to senior-level experience, established networks, and hard-won knowledge of what works. For many organisations, this is faster and more cost-effective than recruiting — particularly for specific campaigns or bids with defined timelines, or when entering a new market.

Do you have security clearances? Members of our team hold or have held appropriate security clearances. We can discuss specific requirements as part of scoping an engagement.