Applied Spectra Inc.

Applied Spectra Inc., a West Sacramento, California–based manufacturer of laser ablation and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instruments, operates as a prime contractor across multiple federal agencies, with 92% of its recent awards as a prime and 8% as a subcontractor on defense and space programs. The company is a small business that competes predominantly in full-and-open procurements without set-aside designation, though it has received two total small business set-asides from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Applied Spectra's capability portfolio centers on the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of specialized analytical instrumentation for elemental and isotopic analysis. Representative prime work includes a $2.44 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research definitive contract from the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration for the U-FIRST-II (Uranium Field Isotope Ratio Swipe Testing-II) program supporting international safeguards operations (ultimate completion April 2025); a $240,384 total small business purchase order from the U.S. Geological Survey for delivery of a 193-nanometer excimer laser ablation system for mineral analysis and geochronology research (completed February 2025); a $198,092 total small business set-aside from USGS for a laser ablation system supporting the Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (completed June 2024); a $114,026 sole-source purchase order from USGS for upgrade of an existing RESOlution-SE Tandem laser ablation system with broadband LIBS plasma emission detector and Clarity NeXt control software (completed August 2025); and ongoing maintenance contracts with Naval Strategic Systems Programs (most recent $11,109 LIBS service maintenance order, December 2025). Applied Spectra also received a Department of Energy Office of Science project grant for rapid beryllium analysis capabilities to support nuclear site decontamination (completed April 2024).

Customer concentration spreads across 21 distinct federal agencies. The top five funding entities by award count account for 52% of awards: the U.S. Geological Survey leads with six awards ($873 thousand combined potential value), followed by the Department of Energy Office of Science (five awards), Naval Strategic Systems Programs (five awards, $41 thousand), Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (five awards, $550 thousand), and NASA Johnson Space Center (four awards, $702 thousand). By potential value, however, the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration dominates with two awards worth $3.3 million combined. Applied Spectra's work aligns primarily with NAICS 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), which accounts for thirteen recent awards, and falls within Laboratory Equipment and Supplies PSC category work.

Activity has remained relatively flat at three to four awards annually over the past five years, with a recent uptick in sub-awards. As a subcontractor, Applied Spectra supplies J200 Femto Laser Ablation instruments and warranty service packages to Triad National Security on the Los Alamos National Laboratory Integrated Governance Framework competition and provides warranty service packages to NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering and Exploration Integration and Science Directorates. Only one award ($11 thousand) faces ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months, indicating minimal near-term recompete exposure.

Research and development for chemical analysis, nano-sampling, laser ablation, instrumentation design and manufacture, thin-film deposition, spectroscopic instrumentation, nano-particles (fabrication and analysis). Metal and isotope analysis.