Programme and OEM access
Introductions where supplier decisions are actually made — programme offices and supply-chain leadership, not exhibition aisles.
Sectors · Aerospace & space
The US aerospace supply chain is open to proven suppliers. Entry runs through programmes, not trade stands.
OEM and programme relationships, export-control navigation, and supply-chain integration for aerospace and space suppliers.
Practice lead — Thomas S. Riebs, Los Angeles
The challenge
British aerospace capability is world class — structures, systems, propulsion, satellites, ground segment. The US market rewards it, but on American terms: qualification cycles measured in years, AS9100 and Nadcap expectations, export-control boundaries that shape what can even be discussed, and OEMs that select suppliers long before a public opportunity appears.
The companies that win here stop marketing to “US aerospace” and start pursuing named programmes, named primes and named buyers — in the right order.
What we unlock
Four channels. One firm.
Export-control navigation
ITAR and EAR boundaries mapped before conversations begin, so early discussions don’t create later problems.
Supplier qualification and integration
Certification, localisation and qualification sequenced so the commercial and compliance clocks run together.
Space-sector channels
Primes, integrators and the commercial space buyers re-shaping launch, satellites and ground infrastructure.
The method, applied
Think slow: we map which programmes and primes your capability actually fits, and what their qualification path demands, before you spend a dollar travelling.
Act fast: institutional access — including partners who ran the UK’s commercial network here — compresses the introduction phase that usually consumes the first year.
Win big: multi-year supplier positions and programme relationships, not one-off purchase orders.
Asked often
Do we need a US entity to supply US OEMs?
Not always to begin, often to scale. Entity, tax and export-control structure should follow the target programme, not precede it.
How do export controls affect early conversations?
They define what you can share and with whom. Getting your classification first keeps early meetings productive instead of legally awkward.
How long does supplier qualification take?
Commonly one to three years depending on criticality. The work is to run qualification and relationship-building in parallel rather than in sequence.
Where will you play in this market?
If what you build is proven at home and under-realised here — we should have a conversation. AXEL assesses fit before committing. The conversation is the first step, not the commitment.
Begin a conversation →