Skip to main content
    Astris Law S IconAstris Law

    Defence Industry Entry

    Defence Industry Entry - Astris Law Brisbane commercial law firm

    Defence industry entry lawyer

    Fixed fee counsel for software companies, advanced manufacturers, SMEs and investors entering Australia's defence industry. DISP, export controls, ownership structure and the funding map. Four gates, one team, one sequence.

    Australia is reportedly investing a total of 887 billion dollars in defence over the decade to 2033-34, including 425 billion dollars for the new capabilities identified in the 2026 Integrated Investment Program. The money is real. So are the gates between you and it.

    Book a consultation or call (07) 3519 5616.

    The problem we solve

    Defence industry entry fails quietly. The DISP application stalls because the ownership structure raises foreign ownership, control and influence questions nobody asked at incorporation. The export controls analysis starts after the offshore developer already has repository access. The funding application lands before the company is eligible to receive it. Each gate is navigable. The order you take them in decides whether you spend months at the door or years.

    An Australian first not for profit export controls group has launched to help defence industry and academia navigate the system. When a sector needs a dedicated organisation just to explain its own rulebook, that tells you what unaided entry looks like.

    Who we act for

    Software and AI companies

    Building dual-use technology for civilian markets and discovering the Defence and Strategic Goods List does not care what your marketing says. Your offshore staff and cloud arrangements can constitute controlled supplies before you have signed a single defence contract.

    Advanced manufacturers

    Entering defence supply chains, including the nuclear powered submarine supply chain, where security requirements, export controls and ownership scrutiny travel with the work and arrive earlier than most suppliers expect.

    Established SMEs

    Chasing a first defence contract after years in commercial markets. Capable, credentialed and unprepared for a procurement environment where DISP membership, not capability, is the first question asked.

    Investors

    Backing defence adjacent companies where foreign ownership, control and influence concerns can affect DISP membership and contracting. Capital structure needs to be planned before entry, not repaired after.

    The Defence Ready Program

    A staged pathway from commercial company to defence ready company, with the legal work sequenced so no gate is reached out of order.

    Phase 1: Readiness assessment

    Your technology, ownership structure and target contracts assessed across the four gates: DISP, export controls, ownership and funding eligibility. You get the map: every gate in sequence, a realistic timeline and the failure modes specific to your company. Fixed fee.

    Phase 2: Entry execution

    We run the sequence. DISP membership strategy, export controls positioning, structure work and funding eligibility, handled in the order that works rather than the order they arrive. Fixed fee, agreed after Phase 1.

    Phase 3: Operating inside the system

    The obligations that switch on when you win. Personnel security, controlled supply discipline and contract compliance, built to survive audit. Fixed fee.

    Why a law firm

    Your feasibility analysis, structuring advice and regulator strategy are protected by legal professional privilege. Our advice carries the professional liability of a regulated profession. And your matter is run end to end by a senior lawyer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do we need DISP membership before bidding for defence work?

    The Defence Industry Security Program is the security gateway for defence industry work, with membership levels and personnel security clearance requirements that scale with what you touch. Which level you need and when to apply depends on the contracts you are chasing and the structure you bring to the application. That sequencing question is exactly what Phase 1 answers.

    Our product was never designed for defence. Do export controls still apply?

    Possibly. The Defence and Strategic Goods List determines what is controlled and it reaches dual-use technology built for civilian markets. Offshore staff and cloud arrangements can constitute controlled supplies without anything physical leaving the country. Whether your technology is caught is an analysis worth doing before a regulator does it for you.

    We have foreign investors. Is defence work closed to us?

    Not necessarily, but foreign ownership, control and influence concerns can affect DISP membership and defence contracting, and some cures are cheap before entry and expensive after. Capital structure is a Phase 1 question, not a post-signing one.

    Is there funding to help SMEs enter?

    Yes, including dedicated funding for nuclear powered submarine supply chain participation through the DIDG program and the 15 billion dollar National Reconstruction Fund. Eligibility turns on structure, ownership and readiness, which is why the funding map and the legal map are the same document.

    What does it cost?

    Each phase is a fixed fee agreed before it starts, scaled to the company. No hourly rate ambush.

    Discuss your entry

    The cheapest time to fix a defence entry strategy is before the DISP application is lodged and before the next investor is on the register. Call (07) 3519 5616 or book a consultation.

    Book a Consultation

    This page is general information, not legal advice. The regimes it describes are moving, so some dates and rules will change. Obtain advice tailored to your circumstances before acting. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.