diff --git a/backend/app/routers/campaigns.py b/backend/app/routers/campaigns.py
index 669e712..f31071e 100644
--- a/backend/app/routers/campaigns.py
+++ b/backend/app/routers/campaigns.py
@@ -395,9 +395,14 @@ def get_campaign_progress_endpoint(
 # POST /campaigns/from-threat-actor/{actor_id} — Auto-generate campaign
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+class GenerateFromActorPayload(BaseModel):
+    start_date: Optional[str] = None  # ISO date YYYY-MM-DD
+
+
 @router.post("/from-threat-actor/{actor_id}", status_code=201)
 def generate_campaign_from_actor(
     actor_id: str,
+    payload: GenerateFromActorPayload = GenerateFromActorPayload(),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
     current_user: User = Depends(require_any_role("red_lead", "blue_lead")),
 ):
@@ -406,10 +411,14 @@ def generate_campaign_from_actor(
     Creates tests from the best available templates and orders them
     by kill chain phase.
     """
+    start_date_parsed = (
+        datetime.fromisoformat(payload.start_date) if payload.start_date else None
+    )
     campaign = generate_campaign_from_threat_actor(
         db,
         uuid.UUID(actor_id),
         current_user,
+        start_date=start_date_parsed,
     )
 
     with UnitOfWork(db) as uow:
diff --git a/backend/app/services/campaign_service.py b/backend/app/services/campaign_service.py
index e1b27c7..cb2b0dc 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/campaign_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/campaign_service.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ threat actors, and progress calculation.
 import logging
 import uuid
 from datetime import datetime
+from typing import Optional
 
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
@@ -106,6 +107,8 @@ def generate_campaign_from_threat_actor(
     db: Session,
     actor_id: uuid.UUID,
     user: User,
+    *,
+    start_date: Optional[datetime] = None,
 ) -> Campaign:
     """Auto-generate a campaign from a threat actor's uncovered techniques.
 
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ def generate_campaign_from_threat_actor(
         status="draft",
         created_by=user.id,
         tags=[actor.name, "auto-generated"],
+        start_date=start_date,
     )
     db.add(campaign)
     db.flush()  # Get campaign.id
diff --git a/frontend/src/api/campaigns.ts b/frontend/src/api/campaigns.ts
index 69d200b..701f8d0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api/campaigns.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api/campaigns.ts
@@ -155,8 +155,14 @@ export async function getCampaignProgress(campaignId: string): Promise<CampaignP
 }
 
 /** Generate a campaign from a threat actor. */
-export async function generateCampaignFromThreatActor(actorId: string): Promise<Campaign> {
-  const { data } = await client.post<Campaign>(`/campaigns/from-threat-actor/${actorId}`);
+export async function generateCampaignFromThreatActor(
+  actorId: string,
+  options?: { start_date?: string },
+): Promise<Campaign> {
+  const { data } = await client.post<Campaign>(
+    `/campaigns/from-threat-actor/${actorId}`,
+    options ?? {},
+  );
   return data;
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
index 8a204e2..74de7d1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export default function CampaignsPage() {
   const [showCreateForm, setShowCreateForm] = useState(false);
   const [showActorSelector, setShowActorSelector] = useState(false);
   const [actorSearch, setActorSearch] = useState("");
+  const [actorStartDate, setActorStartDate] = useState("");
   const [newCampaign, setNewCampaign] = useState({
     name: "",
     description: "",
@@ -87,10 +88,12 @@ export default function CampaignsPage() {
   });
 
   const generateMutation = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: (actorId: string) => generateCampaignFromThreatActor(actorId),
+    mutationFn: (actorId: string) =>
+      generateCampaignFromThreatActor(actorId, actorStartDate ? { start_date: actorStartDate } : undefined),
     onSuccess: (campaign) => {
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["campaigns"] });
       setShowActorSelector(false);
+      setActorStartDate("");
       navigate(`/campaigns/${campaign.id}`);
     },
   });
@@ -289,6 +292,29 @@ export default function CampaignsPage() {
               />
             </div>
 
+            {/* Start date */}
+            <div className="mb-4">
+              <label className="mb-1.5 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-300">
+                Start date
+                <span className="ml-2 text-xs font-normal text-gray-500">
+                  (optional — campaign activates automatically on this date)
+                </span>
+              </label>
+              <input
+                type="date"
+                value={actorStartDate}
+                min={new Date().toISOString().split("T")[0]}
+                onChange={(e) => setActorStartDate(e.target.value)}
+                className="w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-800 px-3 py-2 text-sm text-gray-300 focus:border-cyan-500 focus:outline-none [color-scheme:dark]"
+              />
+              {actorStartDate && (
+                <p className="mt-1.5 flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs text-amber-400">
+                  <span>⏰</span>
+                  Tests won't be queued until {new Date(actorStartDate + "T00:00:00").toLocaleDateString("en-GB", { day: "numeric", month: "long", year: "numeric" })}
+                </p>
+              )}
+            </div>
+
             {/* Actor list */}
             <div className="max-h-72 overflow-y-auto rounded-lg border border-gray-800">
               {isLoadingActors ? (