Getting into business with Defence? There are things you need to know

Growth in South Australia’s defence industry is surging, particularly in manufacturing. 

With a multitude of new opportunities in Defence on the horizon, including an estimated spend of $270 billion out to the end of this decade, it’s important for businesses who want to capitalise on this growth industry to understand that there are minimum requirements to be met. This includes stricter business practices in regards to security, especially cyber. 

To help those businesses who want to begin supplying to Defence, the South Australian Business Chamber member De Stefano & Co offers a service that supports companies to obtain membership to the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP).

DISP supports Australian businesses to understand and meet their security obligations when engaging in Defence projects, contracts, and tenders by:

• Helping members to meet security requirements when delivering Defence contracts and tenders
• Providing access to Defence security advice and support services
• Helping members to better understand and manage security risks across their business
• Providing confidence and assurance to Defence and other government entities (either Australian or foreign) when procuring goods and services from industry members.

Currently, not all contractors need DISP membership to work with Defence, but it is highly recommended. Having a DISP membership shows your commitment to the industry and is a great business development asset. It’s also becoming more common for Defence Prime contractors to ask their suppliers for it.

The Australian Department of Defence requires its suppliers to hold an appropriate level of DISP membership if they are:

• Working on sensitive or classified information or assets
• Storing or transporting Defence weapons or explosive ordnance
• Providing security services for Defence bases and facilities and/​or
• As a result of a Defence business requirement.

Preparing your business to work with Defence is complicated. De Stefano & Co is a defence-focused management and security consultancy that assists businesses from across Australia and the globe in navigating the complex Australian defence industry environment to grow their defence sector revenues. Find out more here.