The professional standard for defence business winning
Management and leadership qualifications built entirely on UK defence business winning - delivered by practitioners, externally moderated by the CMI.
- CMI Level 5, Management & Leadership
- Specialising in Defence Business Winning
- Certificate (3 units) or Diploma (7 units)
- Delivered in person or live online
Our programmes are built on the methodology Strategical's practitioners use to win campaigns in the UK defence market, and are taught by practitioners who have led winning bids at every level of it. Every unit, every assignment, and every assessment maps to the same four disciplines that underpin our advisory work: assessing the defence market, competitive positioning, proposal execution, and delivery transition.
Built for the people who win the work
Strategical's qualifications are for the practitioners who lead UK defence pursuits - capture leads, bid managers, BD directors, and the teams behind them. You apply the method to a live campaign of your own or to a full simulated pursuit, and you finish with management and leadership capability proven on real business winning, evidenced by a CMI Level 5 qualification.
CMI Level 5 management and leadership
| Attribute | Certificate | Diploma |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification code | CMI Level 5 (5C30) | CMI Level 5 (5D30) |
| Credits | 14 | 42 |
| Units | 3 | 7 |
| Duration | 4–6 months | Approximately 12 months |
| Fee | £3,000 + VAT per delegate | £5,000 + VAT per delegate |
| Pursuit coverage | Steps 01–03 (front end) | Steps 01–08 (full pursuit + capstone project) |
| Best for | Practitioners building formal capture and BD capability for the first time | Those leading, or stepping up to lead, pursuit teams and bid functions |
| Pathway | Standalone, or progression to Diploma | Direct entry, or top-up from Certificate |
Both qualifications: self-directed study with intensive workshops, attended in person or live online.
CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management & Leadership
Defence Business Winning
The structured entry point.
The Certificate covers the front end of a defence pursuit - assessing the market, picking the fight, and mapping the people who decide. Three units, standalone as a CMI qualification and the natural pathway into the Diploma. Delivered by Strategical practitioners, externally moderated by the CMI.
CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management & Leadership
Defence Business Winning
The full programme.
The Diploma is Strategical's flagship qualification - the only CMI Level 5 programme built specifically for defence business winning professionals. Seven units that follow the chronology of a live defence pursuit, from first market assessment through to post-award transition. Sixteen integrated toolkit instruments, applied to a real or simulated campaign. Delivered by practitioners, externally moderated by the CMI. The Diploma develops the capability defence business winning demands: leading pursuit teams and bid functions, strategic decision-making under competitive pressure, and stakeholder influence across the procurement cycle.
A credential that names your specialism
On completion you hold a CMI Level 5 qualification in Management and Leadership, specialising in Defence Business Winning. It is a recognised management standard and a clear statement of where your capability lies - winning work in the UK defence market.
Open cohorts and in-house programmes forming for 2026
Our first cohort is confirmed with a UK defence prime. Open and in-house cohorts are forming for 2026; early conversations are welcomed.
The course runs the way a real campaign runs
Most management courses teach topics in syllabus order. Strategical's course runs in pursuit order - the sequence a live defence campaign actually follows. You meet each discipline at the point you would use it on a real bid, and you apply it as you go.
- 01
Set the market context
Read where the opportunities and threats sit.
- 02
Pick the fight
Decide which opportunities are worth pursuing, and why.
- 03
Map the people
Identify and influence the people who shape the decision.
- 04
Build the win
Shape a competitive position and a value case that beats the incumbent.
- 05
Run the capture
Drive the pre-proposal campaign that wins before the bid is written.
- 06
Execute the proposal
Turn strategy into a winning written response through structured review.
- 07
Land it
Transition from win to delivery without losing what you promised.
- 08
Integrate it all
A capstone project in which you run a full pursuit end to end.
Certificate learners cover the first three steps - the front end of a pursuit. Diploma learners run the full campaign through to delivery and the capstone project, with a reflective practice thread throughout.
An independent standard, not an in-house badge
An independent standard
CMI-assessed and externally moderated - a recognised qualification, not a certificate Strategical marks itself.
Taught by people who win
Delivered by practitioners who have led winning campaigns at every level of the UK defence market - not academics teaching from theory.
Built on real campaign work
You learn by working a full defence pursuit end to end - a complete simulated campaign, or your own live one under authorisation - so you build real business winning capability, not generic theory.
A specialism that shows
The only CMI Level 5 programme built specifically for defence business winning - and the qualification names that specialism on the certificate.
A working toolkit, not a reading list
Sixteen integrated tools applied to live campaign decisions during the programme - the same instruments practitioners use on real pursuits.
A staged route
Start with the Certificate and top up to the full Diploma - capability built in proven steps.
Taught by practitioners, not lecturers
Strategical's programmes are delivered and assessed by senior practitioners who have led winning campaigns in the UK defence market. Delivery draws on the same advisory team that supports live defence pursuits, with backgrounds across MOD, UK defence primes and the Armed Forces. Every assignment is externally moderated by the CMI, so the teaching is grounded in real business winning while the standard stays independent.
On the programme and after
- A complete set of practitioner course materials, built around a full defence campaign worked end to end
- Managed access to the 16-tool Strategical Toolkit throughout the programme
- CMI-assessed and externally moderated assignments
- A CMI Level 5 qualification in Management and Leadership, specialising in Defence Business Winning, on successful completion
- Optional Embedded Chartered Manager (CMgr) pathway for qualifying delegates
The right format for your organisation
Open cohort
Delegates from multiple organisations. Next open cohort forming for 2026.
In-house cohort
Delivered exclusively for your organisation. Minimum of 12 delegates. Content calibrated to your market position and live campaigns.
Individual enrolment
Enrol as an individual. Single delegates are placed in the next available open cohort.
What you need to know
- Do I need a live campaign of my own?
- No. You can work Strategical's full simulated pursuit. If your employer authorises it, you can apply the method to a live campaign of your own instead.
- How is it assessed?
- Each module is assessed through an integrated assignment; the Diploma adds a capstone management project. All assessment is externally moderated by the CMI.
- How long does it take?
- The Certificate runs about four to six months; the Diploma about 12 months.
- In person or online?
- Both. Module workshops are delivered in person or live online - your choice per module - and the wrap-around sessions are online.
- Are the qualifications CMI-approved?
- The qualifications themselves are CMI Level 5 qualifications in Management and Leadership - externally moderated by the CMI.
- What do I come away with?
- A CMI Level 5 qualification in Management and Leadership, specialising in Defence Business Winning, and a method you can keep applying to real pursuits.
- How much time should I plan for each week?
- Plan for around five to eight hours per week for the Certificate and six to ten hours per week for the Diploma, across self-directed study, assignment work and workshop preparation. Workshops are typically full or half-day sessions spaced across the programme.
- How many delegates run in an open cohort?
- Open cohorts run to a maximum of 24 delegates to ensure direct practitioner contact and clear individual attention throughout the programme. In-house cohorts require a minimum of 12 delegates.
- Are instalment payment terms available?
- Yes. Fees may be paid in agreed instalments aligned to the programme schedule. We will discuss terms during the initial consultation.
Four steps to your credential
- 01
Initial consultation
A conversation about your business winning context, capability gaps and the outcomes you need from the programme.
- 02
Confirm the route
Agree the qualification level - CMI Level 5 Certificate or Diploma - and the format: join an open cohort, or commission an in-house programme for your team.
- 03
Apply the methodology
Work the framework against Project HERON - Strategical's worked-example bid scenario - or against a live opportunity from your own pipeline.
- 04
Earn the credential
Complete the assessed work and exit with your CMI Level 5 qualification in Management and Leadership, specialising in Defence Business Winning.
A confidential conversation is the best place to start.
Whether you are developing an individual practitioner, building your BD team's capability, or investing in formal professional qualifications for your business winning function, contact us to discuss enrolment and cohort availability.
Book a conversation