Acceptance onto Major UK Defence Framework

RC Fornax (AIM: RCFX), the UK-based consultancy delivering outcome-based engineering solutions to the defence sector's most critical platforms - accredited, in-demand, and built to scale, is pleased to announce that it has been unconditionally accepted by Aurora Engineering Partnership ("Aurora") as a Specialist Provider on Evolve, its Engineering Delivery Partnership ("EDP") Provider Network, a major UK defence engineering framework.

The Aurora Evolve Provider Network has been restructured into three relationship types, comprising Specialist Providers, Framework Providers and Associate Providers. As a Specialist Provider, RC Fornax is a technically assured member of the core Provider Network and will be invited to participate in sourcing events through which engineering service requirements are competitively procured, aligned to its selected capabilities, as well as to collaborate with other members of the Provider Network and Aurora.

As part of Aurora's restructuring process, the number of approved suppliers for the Provider Network has been materially reduced, and the framework has reaffirmed its objective to increase small and medium-sized enterprise participation to approximately 25 per cent of total spend. Since its launch in 2018, the framework has supported nearly £2 billion in total contracted works.

The Provider Network represents one of the key delivery mechanisms within EDP and is responsible for approximately 40 per cent of the revenue delivered through the partnership, and is considered a critical component in the delivery of engineering services to the Ministry of Defence. Acceptance onto the renewed framework enables RC Fornax to continue bidding for relevant opportunities as they arise, subject to individual competition and customer requirements.

This acceptance follows the Company's continued focus on strengthening its bid and framework strategy, alongside the operational enhancements and targeted hires implemented in recent months to support scalable delivery.

Paul Reeves, Chief Executive Officer of RC Fornax, commented:

"Our selection as a Specialist Provider on Aurora's Evolve network reflects the continued confidence placed in RC Fornax's specialist engineering capability and delivery model. It maintains our access to an important route for ongoing customer engagement and represents the next step in the progression of our bidding activity following the operational improvements implemented in recent months.

"While individual contract awards remain subject to competition and confidentiality, this provides further evidence of the strengthening engagement we are seeing as programmes continue to progress."