Nova Blue and C3IA: partnering to secure the defence supply chain

A joint strategic partnership giving defence suppliers a clear, confident route through Defence Cyber Certification.

We are proud to announce a strategic partnership with C3IA Solutions, an NCSC assured cyber consultancy and an accredited Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) Certification Body.

This one matters to us. In defence, who you choose to stand alongside says as much about you as what you sell. We do not partner lightly, and we only put our name next to people we trust to deliver for our clients. C3IA are exactly that.

An easy partnership to build

Building this has been refreshingly straightforward. From the first conversation we spoke the same language. The same understanding of the threat, the same view of what good actually looks like, the same instinct to put the supplier first. No ego, no posturing. Just two teams who knew the problem and agreed quickly on how to solve it.

Two halves that fit together cleanly

The roles complement each other perfectly - particularly when it comes to helping a defence supplier to achieve DCC.

Nova Blue does the hands-on work. Our technicians configure and harden a supplier's digital estate across people, process and technology, then monitor it around the clock and respond when something happens. We do not tell suppliers how to do security. We do it for them.

Once the estate is hardened and the policies and processes are in place, C3IA step in as the independent Certification Body to run the formal assessment and award the DCC.

Delivery on one side, independent audit and assurance on the other. No blurred lines, and nobody marking their own homework. That separation is not a technicality. It is what gives the certification its weight.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Together, we are confident that there is no cyber security problem we can't tackle.

Built on shared values and a shared background

What made this easy runs deeper than the technical fit.

Both teams came up through defence and national security. We have spent our careers inside the environments we now protect, and so have C3IA. That shared background is not a line for a press release. It means we understand the threats because we used to defend against them, and we understand the pressure a supplier is under because we have lived it ourselves. When both partners think that way, the supplier gets a straighter, more honest route to where they need to be.

In their words

Ian Fowler, Public and Private Sector Account Manager at C3IA:

"Our connection to the Armed Forces is ingrained in the fabric of C3IA Solutions. When looking for a partner to support our clients through the pre-assessment phase, finding an organisation that shared our dedication to national security was essential. Nova Blue's technical excellence and defence pedigree make them the ideal equal partner. Together, we can deliver a smooth, reliable, and secure pathway to compliance."

David Collins OBE, Chief Technology Officer at Nova Blue:

"We believe in building relationships with companies whose values mirror our own. Partnering with C3IA allows us to guide defence suppliers through the entire security improvement journey, building their cyber resilience and giving them the confidence that they are thoroughly prepared before their formal DCC assessment. It is a symbiotic relationship that ultimately delivers a safer supply chain for the UK."

Building resilience, together

The point of all this is simple. The defence supply chain is under sustained, capable attack, and the compliance landscape around it keeps getting more complex. Suppliers should not have to face either alone.

Together, Nova Blue and C3IA give them a single, coherent route: get properly secure, stay secure, and walk into the formal DCC assessment prepared and confident. That is how we build real resilience across the defence supply chain, and how we help suppliers cut through the complexity of cyber security compliance rather than drown in it.