H&B DEFENCE PTY LTD
Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot Program
Overview
The Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Pilot Program has been developed by the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) to streamline and accelerate the qualification of Australian suppliers into the US Submarine Industrial Base (SIB), in support of the AUKUS Pillar I Optimal Pathway and Trilateral Submarine Industrial Base (TSIB) outcomes.
The objective of the Program is to deliver Supplier Qualification Services and Product Qualification Services to enable Australian suppliers to enter the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) Supply Chain, enabling them to compete for NNS Supply Chain opportunities across both submarine and aircraft carrier programs.
The Contractor makes no representation that any of the Suppliers will be offered any purchase order or other form of contract by NNS or any other party in connection with the products of the Suppliers that relate to the Services being provided under this Contract or otherwise.
H&B Defence, a joint venture between HII and Babcock, is seeking supplier expressions of interest (EOIs) for seven Work Packages, staged in shortlisting rounds throughout the two-year duration of the program. Suppliers with other potentially relevant capabilities can submit an EOI under Work Package 8 (Unspecified / Open Entry), as a decision may be made in the future to release additional work package categories.
H&B Defence has shortlisted suitable suppliers for the first two Work Packages, Castings and Forgings and Precision Machining, in May 2025. EOIs submitted on or before 30 April 2025 were considered in this first round of shortlisting. EOIs submitted after this date may still be considered in future shortlisting rounds. All applicants will receive regular progress updates regarding the status of their EOI.
Supplier uplift grant funding opportunities may be available to AUSSQ program participants, including the Australian Government's Defence Industry Development Grant Program. More information can be found here: https://www.defence.gov.au/business-industry/resources-support/industry-grants
