The UK Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ announced on 10 October 2026 a joint programme, Project Safari, intended to widen access for small and medium enterprises to the UK's sovereign Test and Evaluation facilities. According to the announcement, the programme would provide a single entry point for SMEs and streamline approval processes for trial activity, which the ministry said had involved multiple levels of bureaucracy. The MOD said technologies such as hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons and autonomous systems would be assessed and delivered faster as a result.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said limited access to such facilities had held back smaller businesses and new entrants. QinetiQ Group CEO Steve Wadey said the programme would change how the UK approves new technologies. During a visit to MOD Hebrides, Pollard signed an agreement with QinetiQ covering the first design stage of a multimillion-pound investment to develop the site for testing hypersonic missiles and other advanced technologies.

The announcement cited the Strategic Defence Review's commitment to increase defence spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion a year by summer 2028, and the Defence Investment Plan's £298 billion of funding over four years.