Sponsored Reserves (SR)
"The Sponsored Reserves concept is the letting of contracts for services that require uniformed personnel on operations, on condition that a contractor or agency maintains in its workforce an agreed element who have volunteered to, and have, become special members of a Reserve Force" - UK SR Policy
Such personnel are known as Sponsored Reserves (SR). Under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96), SR have special liabilities for reserve service, military training and call out. In the legislation, a Sponsored Reservist is termed "a special member of a reserve force" and is not a Volunteer Reservist (VR). They can therefore be called out to continue to support MoD on operations using skills that their employers have been contracted to provide.
In general, SR should be considered for all projects providing support services where:
- Those delivering the service on operations need to be members of the Armed Forces and to carry the legal status that goes with it. SR are required to carry arms and carry out other military duties in addition to their specialist role.
- The use of SR offers value for money at an acceptable operational and commercial risk.
- The use of SR does not have an unacceptable effect on Regular personnel structures.
- The capability required is one that it is not cost-effective to maintain as a regular capability and is too specialist to be considered for the Volunteer Reserve.
UK MoD uses SR to fill capability gaps which they wish to control. Amongst others, a number of discreet contracts have been let for:
- Heavy Equipment Tank Transportation
- STUFT Shipping
- UK MET Office
Higginson Associates offer a full understanding of the UK use of SR and their relevant policies dealing with contractors' provision of SR capability to the UK MoD.
To discuss Sponsored Reserves (SR) and the opportunites for your company
call Higginson Associates on +44 208 878 7307
or email: info@higginsonassociates.com
