Building bridges: Collaboration for social value in the defence ecosystem
Guest blog by Ben Tucker, Social Value Manager at QinetiQ #techUKSocialValueWeek
Ben Tucker
Social Value Manager, QinetiQ
The government’s announcement to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP has been grabbing headlines recently, alongside stories about cutting-edge defence technologies, including the DragonFire laser programme. This poses the question, ‘How can the defence sector deliver innovative technologies whilst also benefitting local communities?’ This is a question that those in the defence sector consider daily. We often experience unique challenges when delivering social value that others within the Tech space may not encounter.
We just can't talk about a lot of what we do. We do amazing things to support keeping the country safe, but we can’t showcase these to inspire a classroom of students. Security considerations and geographical locations provide barriers to delivering traditional work experience. The voluntary and charity community traditionally doesn’t offer the services and materials the sector seeks to procure. The Armed Forces communities also have unique barriers – often moving every two to three years, often in rural communities, and usually have specific well-being needs.
But these barriers aren’t a reason not to deliver. There is a thriving community within the Defence sector that is committed to delivering Social Value—from large primes to brilliant VCSEs—and looking to innovate, collaborate, and support one another to achieve meaningful impact.
Social Value is at the heart of everything we do here at QinetiQ. We are a company of passionate people committed to giving back, and we embrace the opportunity to leverage this across our customer work. I love working with project teams as we develop a technical solution and consider how we can achieve the best result. This can involve using the greenest tech available, working with our supply chain to develop skills in niche areas, or looking at how we can partner with amazing VCSEs to provide impact.
Inspiring the next generation
Cyber Security is a burgeoning field—in 2023, there were over 136,000 cyber jobs across the whole economy, and the demand for it is only set to continue rising. However, career pathways often lack visibility, technical roles are hard to fill, and the workforce is only 17% female.
QinetiQ has partnered with the UK’s largest social mobility charity, “Speakers for Schools” (to be rebranded Futures for All in September 2025), to deliver virtual work experience that gives real-life insights into the field.
"Virtual work experience has proven to be an incredibly effective way to inspire and educate the next generation about careers within Cyber Security. Through our partnership with QinetiQ, we've provided real-world insights to young people across the UK—many of whom wouldn’t have had access to such opportunities otherwise. The overwhelmingly positive feedback showed that these sessions build confidence, develop key skills, and open doors to exciting career pathways. We’re proud to work alongside QinetiQ to make cyber careers more visible, accessible, and inclusive.” Ian Cooper – Head of National Business Development
“I liked hearing about what QinetiQ does and the different insights of what the people working there do and what they had to do to get into that field. I found these both informative and interesting, and they helped me develop my thoughts on what I want to do in the future and what I need to do to be successful within that.” Student attendee
In 2024, QinetiQ sessions benefitted over 600 young people, with outreach activities delivered focusing particularly on inspiring girls into cyber and targeting those in rural and coastal areas.
Alongside this, QinetiQ runs a range of other social value outreach programmes—from delivering CyberFirst Advanced courses in partnership with CyberFirst to being an Apex Partner of the In4 Group in the Northwest to delivering capture-the-flag events for girls across the West Midlands with Aston University.
Supporting the Military Community
Service families face various barriers, but one group often missed is the serving personnel's partners. The typical family moves every 2-3 years, requiring a spouse to navigate new communities, rebuild social connections, and reinvent their professional identities and careers within new local economies. Therefore, it is no surprise that this community faces an unemployment rate of approximately 30% - significantly higher than the national average of 4.4%.
QinetiQ has partnered with the Recruit for Spouses (RFS) Career Academy Community Interest Company to support the training and skills development needs of the Armed Forces Community. The organisation is run by a team of passionate and dedicated military spouses focused on helping service personnel, veterans, and their families.
Together, they created the “Demystifying Defence” programme to boost spouses' confidence and prepare them for the next step. The programme, designed by and for the military spouse community, includes sessions on transferable skills, LinkedIn usage, CV masterclasses, and mock interviews. In 12 months, 13 skills, training, and mock interview sessions are being delivered, benefitting hundreds of spouses and their families.
“Thank you to the team this morning for the time they have given me. This was my first interview in over 24 years! The support and encouragement I received, and helpful information is amazing! I'm in awe! Thank you so much for this opportunity that you have given me! I'm very grateful!” - Bella Piacenti, military spouse
“What our spouses need is experience in the workplace and to regain their confidence in employment,” said Ella Cartwright-Terry, Career Academy Lead, in early summer 2024. QinetiQ responded by creating a work placement programme for the armed forces community. The fully paid 10-week placement attracted significant interest from military spouses, allowing successful candidates to gain work experience at QinetiQ, build confidence, network within the business, and learn new skills.
“This placement has meant so much to me. The experience has boosted my confidence—not only in practical skills but also my belief in myself” - Liz Mudge, 2025 Placement
“Military spouses are resourceful, resilient, and highly capable individuals with a wealth of skills often overlooked by employers.” Continued Ella Cartwright-Terry, “However, these individuals frequently face prejudice when seeking employment, driven by misconceptions about the military lifestyle.
RFS exists to change this perception. We are dedicated to championing military spouses, recognising the vast talent within this community and providing vital support in areas such as mental wellbeing, employment, and recruitment. Our aim is to create opportunities for military spouses to build their confidence and thrive, both personally and professionally.
Through collaboration with forward-thinking organisations like QinetiQ, we can leverage our collective expertise to develop tailored initiatives that have a lasting impact. By doing so, we empower military spouses to fully realise their potential and make valuable contributions to the workforce.”
Summary
Regardless of the barriers we face, I see a positive future for social and economic impact that will be achieved with the Defence and Security sector. As an industry we are a fantastic catalyst to deliver impact, spread prosperity, and drive economic growth. And we will continue to do this together, in collaboration with partners, customers, VCSEs and communities to have impact at the heart of everything we do.
techUK's Central Government Campaign Week 2025 – Social Value Week
techUK is pleased to announce our second Central Government Campaign Week, running from 22-25 April 2025.
Unlocking Government Procurement for Tech SMEs - Addressing Social Value Challenges
We're excited to share our latest report, "Navigating Social Value: Challenges Facing Tech SMEs in Government Procurement." This crucial study explores the real-world experiences of small and medium-sized tech enterprises (SMEs) as they navigate the social value requirements within public sector procurement.
The techUK Central Government Programme provides a forum for government to engage with tech suppliers. We advocate for the govtech sector, evangelise tech as a solution to public sector challenges, facilitate market engagement, and help make the public sector an easier market to operate in. Visit the programme page here.
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Join techUK for a free webinar to learn more about the program and what it might mean for schools, universities and children’s services in both the private sector and those maintained by local authorities.
Join techUK for a timely webinar unpacking the recent changes to the UK Government’s Social Value Model and the introduction of a mission-led approach to public procurement.
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Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!
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When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!
Yaroslava, a Junior Programme Manager at techUK's Central Government Programme, blends a decade of international and local Marketing and Business Development expertise with insights from Public Policy gained within a London economic consultancy.
This combination, coupled with her fluency in five languages and linguistic university background, enables her to drive impactful collaborations between the technology supplier community and the UK government, bringing a nuanced global perspective to engagement.
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Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman is a Junior Programme Manager in the Central Government Programme at techUK.
He supports the programme’s mission to represent the technology supplier community to the UK government and advocate for digital innovation to address public sector challenges. Charles helps facilitate market engagement, foster partnerships, and ensure that tech suppliers and the government work collaboratively to improve outcomes, deliver value for money, and enhance public services for citizens.
Before joining techUK, Charles gained significant experience in research, analysis, and strategic advisory roles. At H/Advisors Cicero, he specialised in public affairs and corporate communications, while at Verdantix, he supported sustainability research and advisory projects, focusing on regulatory and environmental challenges.
Charles holds an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an MA in Medieval History from King’s College London.
Charles enjoys volunteering with a think tank, reading, hiking, and spending time with his dog and family outside of work.
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy Modha
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
