OTA
The National Armaments Consortium (NAC) is dedicated to advancing armaments and creating a robust research and development community. Our collaborative efforts aim to provide our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapons systems, protective gear, and related technologies, enhancing defense capabilities and ensuring national security. Discover our wide range of programs and initiatives, each contributing to significant armament advancements as we shape the future of defense technology together.
The OTA Model
The “Other Transaction Agreement” (OTA) is a streamlined vehicle that brings innovative research findings and state-of-the-art prototypes from industry to the Federal Government. OTA-based collaborations are not subject to many of the regulations that apply to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based acquisitions. OTAs enable rapid acquisition of critically needed technologies in a wide range of areas as diverse as shipbuilding, armaments, satellites, medical devices, and electromagnetic spectrum technologies.
Why the Government Uses OTAs
The OTA model provides flexibility for better Government/Academia/Industry/ collaboration. Government gains a better understanding of state-of-the-art industry capabilities. Industry gains insight into Government needs, expectations, and priorities.
- It emphasizes engaging a diverse range of technology suppliers of all sizes, casting a wider net for capturing ideas and innovations.
- OTAs enable faster contracting through long-term agreements between industry and Government that establish baseline terms and conditions (with the flexibility for negotiated modifications on a project-by-project basis).
- Unlike the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation), the OT-based consortium model allows government and industry to communicate more openly, from requirement generation to the proposal stage.
- It affords greater technology and prototype acquisition speed, getting solutions to end users sooner.
The Basket Provision
The Basket Provision is another innovative acquisition tool that can be employed within OT-based Consortia. It is not uncommon for the industry to propose technology development projects that cannot go forward at a given moment due to a lack of available funding when the source selection decisions are made, despite being deemed valuable by the Government. It is also possible that proposed technology development projects may be valid and approved but not necessary to accomplish immediate Government needs.
In such cases, approved proposals can be held in an “electronic basket” for two or more years. This allows for a subsequent award of the previously-approved proposal in the event of emerging urgent needs, interest in the proposal by a different funding sponsor, end-of-year sweep-up funds, or subsequent-year funding availability. The provision also eliminates costly, time-consuming start-from-scratch responses to new requirements or funding opportunities.
The basket provision benefits industry by:
- Increasing the chances that their proposal effort will not be in vain, even if it does not result in immediate work.
- Increasing the likelihood of business opportunities because Government may turn to the basket for ways to invest available year-end, sweep-up funding.
It benefits Government by:
- Providing a meaningful, pre-vetted slate of projects for funding that arrives after initial source selection.
- Saving the time associated with duplication in the RFP and evaluation processes.
Industry submits Enhanced Whitepapers, then the Government evaluates them. If it is selected and funded, work begins. If it’s selected but unfunded, the enhanced whitepaper goes into the basket. The basket provision preserves selected but currently unfunded projects until funding becomes available.
Why Join?
Unlike the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) system, the OT-based consortium model allows government, industry, and academia to communicate more openly, from requirement generation to the proposal stage; it affords greater technology and prototype acquisition speed, getting solutions to end users sooner; and it emphasizes engaging a diverse range of technology suppliers or all sizes, casting a wider net for capturing ideas and innovations.
