Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) fought off strong competition to be named as the winner of the coveted Public Sector Organisation of the Year category at the annual Association for Project Management (APM) Awards 2024.

Above: The most recent DE&S and NHS Mentoring Scheme cohort.
Courtesy DE&S

DE&S equip the UK Armed Forces by working with them and industry partners as One Defence, to deliver an annual programme of work that exceeds £12 billion, including some of the UK's most complex programmes.

With more than 12,500 employees, DE&S deliver over 600 projects and it is transforming its operating model to address emerging threats and world events. It is this work that the award serves to recognise.

Rob Wixey, Deputy Director Project Initiation at DE&S, said: "We are honoured to have won this award. Our teams work hard to deliver for our UK Armed Forces and our allies, continuously updating their expertise to ensure the complex needs of our customers are met. Having our work recognised in this way feels very special and is an achievement we can all be proud of."

The category was open to all Government and public sector organisations across the globe committed to excellence in project delivery and outcomes.

Finalists up against DE&S for the coveted Public Sector Organisation of the Year title included the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), Government Project Delivery, the BBC, Met Office and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Praising the work of DE&S, the judges said: "A very strong entry, praised by the panel for innovative projects with tight deadlines and high uncertainty, and ambiguity. A sophisticated project environment, supported by robust training, led to effective partnerships with NHS and defence suppliers - and the team received particular praise for the organisation's ability to manage complex defence projects in a challenging geopolitical landscape."

DE&S last won an APM Award in 2022 for Contribution to Project Management: Not-for-Profit.

This latest award marks the sixth APM Award win for DE&S since taking home Programme of the Year in 2015, followed by Young Project Professional of the Year in 2016, Project Professional of the Year in 2017 and Construction Project of the Year in 2020.