US suppliers entering UK defence · 8 of 8
ITAR, export control and technology transfer
US-origin defence technology stays subject to US export control after it crosses the Atlantic. Deciding what can be shared, with whom, and under what authorisation is usually the first hard constraint on how a US supplier can structure its UK offer.
What this involves
- Map, with your export control counsel, what your UK proposition requires you to transfer and what that means for licensing.
- Shape the offer so the delivery model is achievable within export control constraints, rather than bidding something you will not be permitted to deliver.
- Handle the UK contractual side, so that MOD terms and your export control obligations are compatible rather than in tension.
- Write the submission so a UK evaluator understands the constraints without reading them as a supplier who cannot deliver.
The assumption that costs US entrants the most
Leaving export control to the end. A delivery model designed for UK evaluation and then tested against ITAR frequently has to be rebuilt, and the rebuild lands after the bid has been priced. Export control belongs in the solution design conversation, not in the legal review.
Why it matters
It shapes what you can credibly offer, who can work on it, and where data and people can sit. It is a design constraint rather than a compliance afterthought.
Common questions
Does ITAR apply to our UK defence contracts?
If your technology or data is US-origin and controlled, US export control obligations follow it regardless of where the contract sits. The UK contract does not displace them. What varies is what authorisation is needed and how the delivery model has to be structured, which is a question for your export control counsel early in solution design rather than at contract review.
How do we explain export control constraints to a UK evaluator?
Directly and early, framed as a managed constraint with a described mechanism rather than as a caveat. Evaluators are familiar with the issue and are not deterred by it. What does damage a submission is discovering the constraint late, or a bidder who appears not to have thought about how the delivery model works within it.
Cleared support
Consultants cleared to Baseline Personnel Security Standard and Security Check, with Developed Vetting cleared personnel available where a requirement demands it.
Reviewed 22 August 2026 against MOD published policy. Nothing here is legal, export control or security advice, and defence policy moves: confirm the current published position before planning around anything on this page.
The rest of the entry picture
See the full UK entry overview for US defence suppliers, or our MOD bid writing service.
Testing whether the UK is worth it?
That is the right question and we will answer it straight, including when the answer is not yet. A director replies. We work US business hours by arrangement.
ITAR, export control and technology transfer
What do you supply, who buys it in the US today, and what has prompted the UK question?