North Product Design (npd) Studio names in MoD national SME Action Plan

North Product Design (npd) Studio, a product design and development consultancy based in Samlesbury, Lancashire, has been featured as a case study in the Ministry of Defence's newly published Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Action Plan.

The plan, published this week, sets out how the MOD will increase its spend with SMEs by 50% by 2028, backed by a £2.5 billion investment. npd is one of a small number of companies selected to illustrate what a "pro-SME" approach to defence procurement can look like in practice.

BAE Systems engaged npd Studio to deliver a 7" avionics display unit for rig-based concept prototyping for the Typhoon programme. npd completed the project in three months, against a projected internal delivery of twelve - demonstrating the pace and commitment that agile SMEs can bring to complex defence programmes. The project has since expanded, with further devices in development.

Tim Ketton-Locke, Director of the Office for Small Business Growth, said "This is exactly the kind of case study we want to spotlight. Delivering in three months rather than twelve is a strong example of the agility and innovation SMEs can bring to a Prime's supply chain - and it's exactly why we need a diverse ecosystem of supply across UK defence."

npd's founder Nathan Partington said "We're a small team in Lancashire - being named in a national government policy document isn't something we thought we'd earn a place in. A few years ago, defence wasn't even on our radar, now it's some of the most interesting work we do. We've realised our background outside this sector isn't a limitation, it's what we bring to the table - and that's really exciting to us."

The recognition follows a run of recent milestones for npd Studio, including certification to Cyber Essentials Plus and Dalton Cyber Security Group's DCC Level Zero standard, as the company continues to build out its defence-sector credentials.

Notes to Editors

North Product Design (npd) Studio is a product design and engineering consultancy based at Two Acres, Preston New Road, Samlesbury, Lancashire, PR5 0UL. Founded on the principle of only working on products that deserve to exist, npd designs and engineers products across defence and security, energy storage, sports innovation, health and wellbeing, manufacturing, and consumer sectors - from early concept through to TRL 9.

npd holds JOSCAR registration and Cyber Essentials Plus certification, has achieved DCC Level Zero against CSMv4, and is a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant with Bronze status under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.