Can I bid on defense contracts without security clearance?

Some unclassified DGA contracts don't require clearance. For classified markets, clearance is mandatory. You can start the process in parallel with bidding (3-12 months).

Does Maître AO integrate defense confidentiality clauses?

Yes. The AI structures the proposal with secret protection clauses, security plan, and PPST obligations adapted to the required clearance level.

Read time : 14 min

Updated on 6 October 2026

Defense procurement: writing a winning technical proposal as an SME

France's Military Programming Law 2024-2030 allocates €413 billion. Prime contractors (Thales, MBDA, Naval Group, Dassault, Safran) increasingly rely on SME subcontractors. Defense procurement requires security clearances, confidentiality, and compliance that create significant entry barriers. This guide details how to structure a convincing technical proposal.

The market in figures

French public procurement open data, 12 rolling months as of 2026-08-28. Amounts and durations are medians.

734: contracts awarded
380: winning companies
326: active public buyers
120,000 EUR: median amount
48 months: median duration

What these figures tell you

With 380 winning companies for 734 contracts, a company wins on average 1.9 contract(s) per year in this segment.

The median amount of 120,000 EUR indicates the size of consultation to target first.

The median duration of 48 months shows how often these contracts return to tender.

The median is used rather than the average: a handful of very large contracts is enough to distort an average.

Security clearances and defense approval

Three levels: Confidentiel Défense (CD), Secret, and Très Secret (TS), each with increasing obligations for facility security, IT systems and personnel. Clearance is processed by DRSD (3-12 months). The proposal must detail: personnel to be cleared, facility security officer, classified document protection plan, and clearance management procedures. Special markings: Spécial France, NATO, EU classifications may apply.

Structuring a defense technical proposal

The security plan is often a standalone annex covering physical security (restricted zones, access control), IT security (accreditation, encryption), personnel security (clearances, confidentiality clauses), and classified material flow management. SMEs new to defense can leverage experience from similar sectors (civil aerospace, nuclear, space). When subcontracting to prime contractors, demonstrate process qualification, traceability, export compliance, and production ramp-up capability.

Defense procurement regulations

DGA can use negotiated procedures without competition for defense markets (CCP Article L2512-1). Defense contracts include enhanced delay penalties, supply security clauses (strategic stockpiling, dual sourcing), and industrial capacity maintenance obligations. EDF (European Defence Fund) finances cross-border collaborative projects where SMEs participate via consortia.