Indefinite Delivery Contract SP800026D0002

The Defense Logistics Agency, operating under the Strategic Materials federal agency, awarded a single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to Ares Strategic Mining, Inc. (UEI: RFBWFLYGMTZ9) on December 30, 2025, with a ceiling value of $168.9 million and a five-year period of performance extending through December 29, 2030. This Firm-Fixed Price contract, issued under solicitation number SP8000-25-R-0020, procures acid grade fluorspar (acidspar), a critical material essential for semiconductor manufacturing and metallurgical applications. The procurement was conducted on a sole-source basis without set-aside designation under "Other than Full and Open Competition" authority, as Ares Strategic Mining is identified as the only major non-Chinese acidspar supplier to the United States with an active and permitted mining operation. Evaluation was based on technical approach, past performance, and price, with award going to the lowest-priced technically acceptable offeror.

The contract requires the delivery of acid grade fluorspar meeting stringent chemical specifications with a minimum 97 percent calcium fluoride content, sourced from the contractor's mining operation in Hawthorne, Florida, and delivered to the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada. The procurement supports the National Defense Stockpile program and aims to reduce domestic import reliance on critical fluorspar supplies. The original solicitation, posted on September 19, 2025, with a closure date of October 3, 2025, contemplated an estimated total quantity of approximately 559.3 million pounds to be procured incrementally over the five-year period, with quantity ranging from 30.3 million pounds in Year 1 to 189.2 million pounds in Year 5. The contract pricing structure encompasses six quantity ranges for each contract year and includes both primary acidspar acquisition and third-party testing services to ensure material compliance with contractual specifications.