Britain’s Ministry of Defence signs on the dotted line with Palantir
Summary
The UK Ministry of Defence has directly awarded Palantir a three-year, £240.6m follow-on contract to provide continued licensing and support for data analytics capabilities that support strategic, tactical and live operational decision-making interoperable with NATO and allies. The agreement, signed on 30 December and starting 1 April, was awarded using a defence and security exemption; a redacted contract will be available on request 90 days after award.
Key Points
- Contract value: £240.6 million, three-year follow-on enterprise agreement for licensing and support.
- Awarding method: direct award using a defence and security exemption rather than an open procurement competition.
- Timing: contract signed 30 December; starts 1 April; redacted contract to be available 90 days after award.
- Conflict-of-interest concerns: reporting shows Palantir hired four MoD officials in 2025, including Barnaby Kistruck; the MoD has imposed post-employment restrictions on him.
- Palantir defends compliance with business appointment rules; MoD says it conducts due diligence and enforces conditions where necessary.
- Broader context: Palantir has other high-profile UK contracts (notably an NHS Federated Data Platform) and faces protests in the US over its work with ICE.
Context and relevance
This is a notable public-sector procurement: a sizeable, multi-year direct award to a US defence-tech firm that already holds major UK public-sector deals. The use of a defence exemption, the hiring of former MoD staff by the vendor, and existing public concern about Palantir’s work with ICE and large NHS contracts make this story relevant to anyone tracking defence procurement, government tech policy, data governance and procurement ethics in the UK.
Why should I read this?
Short version: it’s a big-money defence deal with a side‑serving of awkward optics. If you care about who handles sensitive defence data, how government buys tech, or the revolving door between Whitehall and vendors, this saves you reading dozens of dry notices — we’ve done the legwork.
Author style
Punchy: this isn’t just another contract notice. It flags procurement shortcuts, post‑employment restrictions and political friction around a company already under scrutiny. Worth a read if you want the quick headline and the implications.
Source
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/28/mod_palantir_deal/