Ada Core Software

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), a component of the Department of the Air Force Materiel Command, has issued a Special Notice for a sole source procurement of software licenses and support from AdaCore Technology. This opportunity, posted on April 14, 2026, represents a non-competitive acquisition for GNAT Pro Enterprise, GNAT Dynamic Analysis Suite (DAS), and SPARK Pro—specialized code verification tools designed for Ada and SPARK programming languages. The procurement is being conducted below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), which permits sole source awards when only one source can satisfy the government's requirements. The contract will cover a one-year license period from May 31, 2026 through May 30, 2027, with a response deadline of April 21, 2026.

AFRL's requirement stems from its research and development of autonomy-related software for unmanned aerial vehicles, necessitating tools for formal verification of complex, safety-critical systems as emphasized in strategic planning documents including "Technology Horizons" and "Autonomous Horizons: The Way Forward." The justification for sole source procurement establishes that AdaCore's SPARK Pro is the only product capable of formally verifying the government's Ada/SPARK software with reasonable effort, as competing alternatives cannot meet the specific verification requirements and would require substantial developmental duplication. As this is a non-competitive procurement, no competitive bids are being solicited; however, the government has indicated that continued market research will monitor for alternative sources to potentially preclude future sole source awards. The opportunity falls under NAICS category 513210 (Software Publishers) and PSC code 7A21 (IT and Telecom—Business Application Software).