Their own payment-practices filing · gov.uk
How long does Bae Systems PLC take to pay its suppliers?
Self-reported figure from their statutory filing. How this is compiled.
On the public register · Companies House
Company record
- Status
- Active
- Type
- Public Limited Company
- Incorporated
- 31 Dec 1979
- Registered office
- 6 CARLTON GARDENS, LONDON, SW1Y 5AD
Terms vs reality
Stated terms: 1–61 days. Reported average: 26.
At a glance
The key figures
Vs peers · latest reported averages
The pattern
Getting faster
Average days to pay across their last 6 statutory reports.
Where their supplier invoices land · latest period
The read · computed from their figures
Bae Systems PLC has filed 17 statutory payment periods (earliest H1 2018). Their latest report puts the average at 26 days against stated terms of 1–61 days.
The direction is faster: from 31 to 26 days over the window — about 5 days faster.
In the latest period 4% of invoices were paid outside their agreed terms, and 1% landed 61+ days out.
What they tell their suppliers
In their own words · from the filing
Standard payment terms
Our 2025 Standard Conditions of Purchase provide for payment at the end of the month following the month in which an invoice is received, subject to (i) a valid invoice being properly provided by the supplier and (ii) the relevant Supplies being delivered and accepted by us, in accordance with the contract. The full text of the standard payment term can be located in Clause 9 of the 2025 Standard Conditions of Purchase at: https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/what-we-do/suppliers/united-kingdom. Whilst the company does contract certain of its material business on the basis of programme-specific bespoke terms and conditions, the relevant payment terms are largely consistent with those contained within the Standard Conditions of Purchase.
Dispute resolution
As per our standard conditions of purchase, if a payment dispute arises, then the parties are required to follow a disputed invoicing process and use reasonable endeavours to resolve the dispute amicably. Any disputes that cannot be resolved are subject to arbitration. Our full dispute resolution process can be found in Clauses 9 and 35 of the 2025 Standard Conditions of Purchase at: https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/what-we-do/suppliers/united-kingdom
Other information
It is not precisely known when payments actually credit into a supplier’s bank account (we do not have systems that accurately record this event). Therefore for the production of the disclosed statistics, we have made a reasoned estimation of when payments have cleared into a supplier's bank account. Where an invoice has been settled through the matching of a credit note, this invoice is not included in the payment statistics. If there is a partial match of a credit note against an invoice, the payment of the remainder of the invoice is included in the payment statistics.
Every statutory report on record
Most recent first.
| Period | Avg days | Outside terms | 61+ days | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 2026 | 26 | 4% | 1% | 30 Jul 2026 |
| H2 2025 | 24 | 4% | 1% | 30 Jan 2026 |
| H1 2025 | 29 | 4% | 1% | 31 Jul 2025 |
| H2 2024 | 26 | 3% | 1% | 3 Feb 2025 |
| H1 2024 | 32 | 2% | 1% | 30 Jul 2024 |
| H2 2023 | 31 | 2% | 1% | 29 Jan 2024 |
| H1 2023 | 30 | 3% | 1% | 27 Jul 2023 |
| H2 2022 | 31 | 2% | 1% | 30 Jan 2023 |
| H1 2022 | 29 | 5% | 2% | 27 Jul 2022 |
| H2 2021 | 28 | 3% | 1% | 27 Jan 2022 |
| H1 2021 | 27 | 3% | 1% | 29 Jul 2021 |
| H2 2020 | 29 | 3% | 2% | 28 Jan 2021 |
| H1 2020 | 23 | 7% | 5% | 28 Jul 2020 |
| H2 2019 | 22 | 9% | 5% | 30 Jan 2020 |
| H1 2019 | 21 | 12% | 5% | 30 Jul 2019 |
| H2 2018 | 17 | 14% | 4% | 28 Jan 2019 |
| H1 2018 | 27 | 16% | 9% | 30 Jul 2018 |
Working-capital effect
What a 26-day cycle ties up
Illustrative. On a hypothetical £12k/month account, at a 26-day vs a 1-day payment cycle.
Late Payment Act. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act lets a supplier charge statutory interest and fixed compensation on invoices paid past agreed terms. Work out what a late invoice is worth → Whether it applies depends on your contract — check with an adviser.
Quick answers
Are they getting slower or faster?
What's their typical pay point?
Can I see what this means for my invoices?
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How UK payment reporting works
What is a Payment Practices Report?
What does "paid outside agreed terms" mean?
How often is this data updated?
Is this official government data?
How this is compiled. Built from official records only: Companies House and the gov.uk payment-practices service. The payment figures are self-reported — companies over the size threshold must file them by law and the board signs them off. No credit-agency data. The numbers are theirs; the plain-English read is ours. This is information compiled from public records under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — not a credit rating and not advice.
The 31-day comparison figure is the median across 6,185 companies with a current statutory report — every sector pooled, not an average of sector medians (how the figure is built).
Report PL-01470151 · latest period to 30 Jun 2026
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