Army Culvert Challenge IDIQ

The Department of the Army Materiel Command Research Development and Engineering Command established the Army Culvert Challenge Master IDIQ on September 17, 2014, to procure demonstration, testing, refinement, and limited production of counter-improved explosive device surveillance solutions. Ordering closed on September 16, 2019, and no new task orders may be placed against this vehicle.

The IDIQ is no longer active for new competition. The most recent task-order award was issued on September 25, 2017—more than eight years ago. Activity peaked in 2014 with 20 demonstration orders, then declined sharply: five orders in 2015, eight in 2016, and one in 2017. All 34 awarded task orders are unrestricted competitive awards with no small-business set-aside.

Task orders purchased two broad categories of work: demonstrations and surveillance/inspection solution refinement. Initial orders from September 2014 were fixed-price demonstration engagements valued at $3.4 thousand each. Subsequent refinement work, awarded in late 2015 and 2016, shifted to cost-plus-fixed-fee arrangements with substantially larger ceiling values ranging from $245 thousand to $646.8 thousand. The most recent order—Delivery Order W911QX14D0023-0004, awarded to an unspecified prime in September 2017—was a $237 thousand firm-fixed-price refinement of a culvert inspection system controller.

Competition concentrated among robotics and engineering firms. Foster-Miller, Inc., Robo-Team NA, Inc., and Applied Research Associates, Inc. led the field with five, five, and four orders respectively, capturing roughly 59 percent of all task orders. The remaining 17 prime contractors received a smaller number of orders; none achieved significant individual presence.

Ordering activity split between two Army customers: Army Materiel Command Research Development and Engineering Command placed 24 orders valued at $2.2 million combined potential; Army Headquarters placed 10 orders at $717 thousand combined potential. The vehicle obligated $2.9 million of its $2.9 million combined potential value, leaving no remaining capacity. With the ordering period closed since 2019 and all potential value consumed, this vehicle presents no forward opportunity for new work.

The Culvert Challenge includes the demonstration, testing, refinement and limited production of counter-improved explosive device surveillance solution.