Cenith Innovations LLC

Cenith Innovations LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small disadvantaged business headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia with R&D operations in Sacramento, California, delivers advanced autonomy systems, aviation-platform software, and AI talent staffing to the Department of Defense and Air Force as a prime contractor (84% of recent awards) and as a subcontractor on U-2 reconnaissance programs. The vendor competes predominantly under Total Small Business set-asides on SBIR Phase I and Phase II contracts; its two largest vehicles — a $249 million Basic Ordering Agreement for AI Talent 2.0 support from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a $25 million single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement for small unmanned aircraft systems from the 409th Civil Support Battalion — carry no set-aside designations and anchor the dollar value of its federal footprint.

Cenith's capability portfolio centers on autonomous systems research, aircrew-performance optimization software, open-mission-systems architecture for intelligence platforms, and navigational alternatives to GPS. Recent representative work includes a $2 million Total Small Business Army contract (January 2026) for HIVEPATH, a decentralized swarm-autonomy program for rapid terrain operations with completion targeted July 2027; a $2 million Army SBIR Phase II award (September 2025) for machine-learning breach routing; a $1.73 million Army SBIR Phase II (September 2023) for research on undisclosed topic; and a $6.13 million Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center full-and-open contract (August 2022) for the U-2 3rd Party Open Mission System Pipeline, running through January 2028. The vendor also holds a $1.3 million Other Transaction Agreement from Air Mobility Command (February 2025) for forward-scatter-based optical vector alternative positioning and navigation (FOSOV ALT-PNT) development. Across the SBIR footprint, Cenith demonstrates sustained engagement with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Army, Navy's Office of Naval Research, and U.S. Special Operations Command on Phase I feasibility studies and Phase II prototyping for aviation human-factors and autonomous-system challenges.

Customer concentration splits sharply between award count and dollar value. By award count, the Department of the Army leads with six awards worth $8 million combined, followed by Air Force Materiel Command's Research Laboratory (three awards, $2 million) and Aeronautical Systems Center (two awards, $7.4 million); these three customers account for 68% of recent awards. By potential value, however, the Office of the Secretary of Defense dominates with the $249 million AI Talent 2.0 BOA (April 2025, through May 2028), and the Regional Contracting Office Bavaria 409th CSB anchors a second major vehicle with the $25 million SUAS and counter-UAS BPA (March 2026, through December 2028). Together, these two vehicles represent 93% of Cenith's combined potential value. SBIR work, by contrast, is granular — multiple Phase I awards under $250 thousand and Phase II awards in the $1–$2 million range.

Activity has stabilized after a growth cycle: four awards in 2022, four in 2023, two in 2024, six in 2025, and two recorded through early 2026. Four awards (combined potential value $12.1 million) face ultimate completion dates inside the next twenty-four months, presenting recompete exposure primarily on SBIR Phase II efforts. Cenith operates on the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (11 labor categories, hourly rates $137.39–$168.58, no security-cleared roles) through June 2027 and participates in three additional parent vehicles of smaller scope. In its subcontractor capacity, Cenith provides systems engineering and technical support to HII Mission Technologies Corp, Leidos, and General Dynamics Information Technology on U-2 program and logistics-intelligence platforms, reflecting deep specialization in the U-2 reconnaissance modernization ecosystem across both prime and sub roles.

We are leaders in solving complex problems by applying cutting edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for defense and commercial user needs. We build scalable, secure, tailorable, and performant solutions; we're able to do this through our unique combination of DoD operational experience and technical expertise. Additionally, we offer robust digital transformation, systems engineer, project management, and acquisition support.