Contract Award: Areté Associates (Northridge, California) – $13,078,020

Areté Associates,* Northridge, California, was awarded a $13,078,020 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order for integration of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) Block I-3A System into the MQ-8C unmanned aerial system. This delivery order is for 19 months. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (50%); and Valparaiso, Florida (50%), and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,654,164 (43%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy)funds in the amount of $5,455,000 (42%); and fiscal year 2023 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,968,856 (15%) will be obligated at time of award, of which $5,654,164 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order was not competitively procured in accordance with the basic contract (N61331-21-D-0006) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(c) (5) — continuation of work performed under prior Phase III Small Business Innovative Research Program authorized under 15 U.S. Code § 638(r)(4) and 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1). The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 5, 2023)