H&B Defence has begun evaluating hundreds of submissions from Australian businesses to determine their suitability for the AUKUS work environment, following a significant response to an open market Expression of Interest (EOI).
Around 200 businesses from across the country have registered for the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Pilot Program EOI within the first three weeks, setting them on a path to qualify and compete for Newport News Shipbuilding supply chain opportunities.
The surge in activity coincides with H&B Defence formalising its partnership with HII to spearhead critical supply chain uplift efforts on behalf of the Australian Government, in support of AUKUS Pillar 1.
The majority of EOI applications have come from Western Australian suppliers, with high levels of enquiry from Victorian and New South Wales businesses, particularly around Precision Machining opportunities, which forms one of the first two Work Packages on offer alongside Castings and Forgings.
Australian suppliers will have the opportunity to register for a total of seven Work Packages across the two-year AUSSQ Pilot Program.
Quotes attributable to Tim Brown, Managing Director, H&B Defence
“The strong response to the Expression of Interest demonstrates the eagerness of Australian industry to play a key role in the AUKUS supply chain.”
“With hundreds of businesses stepping forward, we are moving quickly to assess their capabilities and ensure the most qualified suppliers meet the necessary requirements to progress to the next stage.”
“We ultimately want to expand opportunities for Australian businesses to contribute to a resilient trilateral supply chain, which will in turn enhance future sovereign defence capabilities while driving economic growth and job creation across the sector.”