DefRM — Win Defense Contracts Faster

Understanding the Pilot Trap

Across the defence sector, innovation is thriving - but implementation often isn’t. Promising technologies enter “pilot” or “demonstration” phases and never make it beyond them. This recurring pattern, known as the pilot trap, drains time, funding, and momentum from both governments and suppliers.

In many cases, the pilot trap isn’t about capability or quality. The technology works, the concept proves itself, and stakeholders express interest - yet the solution stalls before adoption. Why? Because the systems, budgets, and procurement pathways designed for experimentation aren’t built to scale innovation into full programmes.

Why It Happens

Defence procurement processes prioritise risk management. That makes sense when national security and taxpayer funds are at stake. But this risk aversion often means that pilots are treated as safe, low-commitment exercises - something that “explores potential” rather than commits to delivery.

Once a pilot ends, the funding mechanism disappears, leaving suppliers - particularly SMEs - stranded in the “valley of death” between prototype and procurement. Without a defined route to production or a dedicated transition framework, promising innovations get lost in paperwork, not performance.

The Cost of Staying in Pilot Mode

The impact goes beyond missed opportunities. The pilot trap leads to:

Repeated duplication, where multiple organisations test similar concepts without coordination or follow-through.
Discouragement of smaller innovators, who can’t afford endless cycles of proof-of-concept work without revenue certainty.

For buyers, the cost is strategic: slower capability delivery, inefficient spending, and a widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness. In an era where agility defines advantage, staying in pilot mode is a luxury modern defence can’t afford.

Breaking the Cycle

To break the pilot trap, procurement frameworks need to plan for scaling from the start. This includes:

Integrating acquisition teams early.
Setting clear evaluation metrics linked to procurement pathways.
Building bridge mechanisms - such as framework contracts or multi-phase funding models - that allow successful pilots to graduate into deployment.

Equally important is cultural change. Procurement officers, end-users, and innovators must work together to define what “success” looks like beyond demonstration. The goal isn’t just to prove a concept - it’s to deliver capability.

How DefRM Fits In

At DefRM, we’ve seen how visibility and structured tracking can make this process easier. By helping organisations map opportunities, align stakeholders, and manage the transition between pilot and procurement, tools like ours can reduce friction and keep promising capabilities on track.

While technology evolves quickly, procurement structures don’t always keep pace. Our mission is to bridge that gap - giving suppliers the clarity they need to progress from innovation to implementation.

Looking Ahead