Center For Aquaculture Technologies, Inc.

Center For Aquaculture Technologies, Inc., a San Diego-based small business, operates as a prime contractor delivering advanced genetic and genomic research services for aquatic species to the federal government under total small business set-aside designations across its contract portfolio. The company provides DNA extraction, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, parentage assignment, microsatellite testing, Certificate of Origin analysis, and whole genome sequencing—specialized capabilities that support aquaculture breeding programs, genetic characterization, disease resistance research, and biotechnology development across federal aquaculture research facilities.

Center For Aquaculture Technologies concentrates its work overwhelmingly with the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Field Research Implementation and Information Delivery Northeast Area, which accounts for 33 of 41 awards and $3.2 million of the $3.5 million combined potential value across the vendor's federal footprint. The vendor holds two active Indefinite Delivery Contracts with USDA ARS: a $1 million single-award IDC for SNP genotyping, microsatellite testing, DNA extraction, and Certificate of Origin testing services for Atlantic salmon, awarded November 16, 2022, running through December 31, 2026; and a $500 thousand single-award IDC for SNP genotyping and parentage assignment in rainbow trout, awarded September 25, 2025, extending through September 24, 2030. Executed delivery orders under the Atlantic salmon IDC total approximately $684 thousand and range from $10.3 thousand to $200 thousand per task order. Representative recent work includes a $79.5 thousand total small business purchase order for low-coverage whole genome sequencing of 2,000 rainbow trout samples via Illumina PE 150 technology (June 2026, USDA ARS), a $200 thousand delivery order for Atlantic salmon DNA extraction and genotyping covering January through December 2025 (awarded January 2026, no set-aside), a $250 thousand total small business purchase order for oyster phenotyping services using Ostreid Herpes Virus 1 challenge experiments (May 2023, USDA ARS), and a $143.5 thousand delivery order for Atlantic salmon DNA extraction and genotyping (June 2025, USDA ARS). The vendor also holds a federal research grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Institute of Food Production and Sustainability for partial inactivation of maternal gene (PIMG) technology research supporting genetic containment of genetically engineered fish (awarded August 2022, completion July 2026). Secondary customers include the Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2 awards, $25 thousand combined value) and minor ARS central program funding.

Activity has remained modest and variable—five awards annually in 2022 and 2023, declining to two in 2024, recovering to four in 2025, and three through mid-2026. Four awards totaling $316 thousand reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing recompete exposure. The vendor operates exclusively as a prime contractor (100% of awards); no subcontract footprint is present in the source data. Award distribution concentrates on NAICS codes for Research and Development in Biotechnology (16 awards) and Testing Laboratories and Services (14 awards), reflecting the company's specialized lab capability position within federal aquaculture research infrastructure.