Make UK Defence

Make UK Defence is the defence division of Make UK, the British manufacturers' organisation formerly known as the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF). It describes itself as a national, not-for-profit and member-owned defence trade association. It emerged from the Northern Defence Initiative (NDI), which the North East regional development agency had set up to win work for regional companies in the aircraft carrier programme; Make UK relaunched it under its current name in 2021. The UK Ministry of Defence lists Make UK Defence among the trade associations it engages with regularly.

Its members range from small and medium-sized suppliers to large prime contractors in the UK defence supply chain; the association states that it represents more than 1,000 companies. It offers representation towards government and Whitehall, networking and Meet the Buyer events, briefings on MOD programmes and Fit for Defence, a programme with a diagnostic tool to help members improve their business performance in the defence market. Its strategic partners include Airbus, Anduril, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, MBDA, QinetiQ, Saab and Thales.

Make UK Defence is led by Director-General Andrew Kinniburgh. In a member survey published in September 2025, 60 percent of members said they export directly to NATO allies, a quarter supply equipment directly to Ukraine and more than three quarters sell directly to the Ministry of Defence.