In accordance with the provision of 10 U.S.C § 2371b, Section 815 of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 114-92, which provides the Department of Defense (DoD) authority to enter into transactions other than contracts, grants or cooperative agreements, Government entitites may enter into an agreement that is directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the DoD, or the improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces.
The Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) is an alternative contract mechanism. OTAs offer greater flexibility in tailoring terms to a particular project and the needs of the participants, achieving the best approach to fulfilling the Government's technology needs, while allowing suppliers streamlined access.
OTA vs. FAR: The OTA Advantage
Leveling the Playing Field to Advance Innovation
OTAs are some of NAMC’s most prized tools when it comes to working with our Government partners. We utilize these OTAs to competitively advance our member companies' technologies for strategic Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives.
OTAs offer a wide array of advantages over Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based contracting. Some of those benefits include:
- Increased speed, agility, and flexibility
- Gaining a collaborative and competitive edge
- Networking and teaming among membership
- Improved dialogues between the government and industry members
- Significant nontraditional defense contractor (NDC) and small business participation in meaningful research and development efforts