The Founding 40 

40 spaces | £2,000 + VAT | Launching September 1, 2026

Private invitation closes 31 August

Qualification calls begin immediately

UK Manufacturing’s Prime-Ready Core

A 12-month programme to turn invisible capability into unmissable opportunity

Apply for The Founding 40

Join us at Subcon Exhibition | Wednesday 3rd June | Manufacturing Insights Theatre

You're Stuck Between Capability and Opportunity

You run a scaling UK manufacturing business:

You have:

  • The equipment

  • The certifications

  • The track record

  • The capacity to supply into Primes, Defence, Infrastructure and Tier One projects

What you don’t have:

  • Visibility to prime buyers

  • A structured pathway into their supply chains

  • A way to present your capability in the format they need

  • The collective strength to compete for larger opportunities

The current system is broken. We’re building the solution.

Download our pdf Prospectus

We’re Not Building Another Network. We’re Building Infrastructure.

The Founding 40 is a 12-month Supply Chain Readiness Programme designed to take 40 UK manufacturing SMEs from capable supplier to prime-ready partner.

Over 12 months, we will work together to deliver:

Phase 1: Audit & Alignment (Months 1-3)

Commercial readiness diagnostic with Crowe UK. Prime-Ready Dossier build. Catalogue launch.

Phase 2: Cluster Build (Months 4-9)

Monthly focus groups. Quarterly prime insight sessions. Bi-monthly peer boards with other MDs.

Phase 3: The Showcase (Months 10-12)

Prime Portal activation. Cluster presentations to active buyers. Year 2 readiness assessment.

The ConeX Prime Portal: The System Primes Actually Use

We don’t just email your PDF to a buyer. We build the infrastructure they work with.

Your validated profile sits inside a dedicated software platform where procurement and innovation leads at Primes, OEMs, defence contractors, and infrastructure projects actively search for UK capability.

When they need a supplier, they don’t Google. They log into the Prime Portal and search by capability, location, certification level, and cluster membership.

We’re already in conversation with aerospace, defence and infrastructure primes, with launch conversations due to progress following Summer.

If you’re in the Founding 40, you’re in the system.

Download our Prospectus

The Investment

£2,000 + VAT per year

What you get:

Crowe UK Commercial Readiness Diagnostic

Prime-Ready Dossier + Coaching

12 focus groups + 3 prime insight sessions + 6 peer boards

Prime Portal profile (ongoing access)

Cluster presentation to buyers

Compare:

Make UK membership: £1,500-3,000 (mainly services)

Supply chain consultancy: £5k-15k (audit only)

Trade shows: £3k-8k per event (random ROI)

Doing it yourself: Impossible to access primes individually

For £2,000, you get infrastructure.

40 Spots. September 1st Start. No Extensions.

  • This is a cohort-based programme. All 40 companies start on Day 1 (September 1, 2026) regardless of when you join.

  • We will not launch unless we achieve critical mass (minimum 20 companies). If we don't hit that threshold, all deposits are refunded.

  • The Founding 40 launches once. We'll run this again, but future cohorts won't be "Founding" and won't have the same positioning.

Deadline: August 31, 2026

How to Apply:

“ConeX is one of the finest examples of true teamwork and collaboration in action. Driven by community, and valuing co-operation over competition.”

Andrea Wilson – Support UK Manufacturing Ltd

FAQ section:

  • That’s the wrong question. The right question is: “Will I be better positioned in 12 months?”

    The answer is yes, you will be materially better positioned in 12 months.

  • This is a different product. Your existing membership gives you community. The Founding 40 gives you structured prime access and portal visibility.

  • You remain in the Prime Portal. Cluster relationships continue. Your Founding 40 status is permanent.

  • No. This is cohort-based. Day 1 is September 1st for everyone.

  • We've already secured conversations with Airbus, Babcock and BAE. Additional partners will be announced before programme launch. We will not run this if we don't have active prime participation—that's why we have the minimum 20-company threshold.

  • Expectation is that you are actively working towards certifications. If you're in defence/aerospace, AS9100 is ideal but not required to start—we'll help you understand the pathway during the programme.

  • Expect 1-2 days per month average. Some months lighter (peer boards are 2-3 hours), some heavier (kick-off is full day). This is a working programme, not passive membership.

The Founding 40 Launches Once

In 12 months, we'll run this again. But that cohort won't be the Founding 40. They won't have first-mover advantage. They won't shape how this evolves.

You're reading this because you're on the target list. That means you're already in the right profile range.

The question is: do you want to be in the system when the opportunities start flowing, or outside it looking in?

40 spots. £2,000. September 1st start.

If you're serious about breaking into prime supply chains, this is the infrastructure you've been waiting for.

Apply now and Questions: info@conex-portal.co.uk

Download our Prospectus