Center For Strategic And Budgetary Assessments

Center For Strategic And Budgetary Assessments (doing business as CSBA), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit policy research institute, delivers strategic analysis, defense budget assessments, and subject matter expertise to the Department of Defense and related federal agencies as a prime contractor (98% of recent awards), competing full-and-open without set-aside protections. CSBA is a tax-exempt corporate entity that operates as an independent, nonpartisan research organization focused on national security strategy and defense policy analysis.

CSBA's customer base concentrates heavily on defense. The top five customer agencies account for 79% of recent awards by count, led by DOD Washington Headquarters Service (70 awards, $78.9 million combined potential value), which anchors the footprint with the largest dollar share. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (13 awards, $5.1 million), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (7 awards, $4 million), Department of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (7 awards, $488 thousand), and Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (6 awards, $771 thousand) round out the active customer set. By potential value, Washington Headquarters Service still dominates; GSA Federal Acquisition Service enters the top tier at $11 million potential value across 3 awards, reflecting CSBA's January 2026 seat on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule with a $2 million ceiling through January 2031.

CSBA's work centers on strategic studies, defense budget analysis, wargaming, workshops, and joint operations research. Representative recent work includes a $919,048 definitive contract with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (awarded July 2024, completing July 2027) for special studies and analysis on competition for battlefield information; a $1.6 million definitive contract with the Secretary of the Air Force (awarded September 2023, completing July 2025) for strategic analysis; a $914,732 definitive contract with Washington Headquarters Service (awarded July 2024, completing September 2027) for special studies and analysis data supporting strategic investment and divestment decisions; and a $135,320 purchase order with Naval Sea Systems Command (awarded March 2026, completing March 2027) for research on joint operations related to escalation around 2040. CSBA also operates the Secretary of Defense Executive Fellows program, providing annual three-week orientation seminars on current strategic issues and defense budgets.

CSBA holds three major Indefinite Delivery Contracts under Washington Headquarters Service: HQ003409D3007 (22 task orders, $17 million combined potential value), HQ003407D1011 (21 task orders, $8.5 million), and HQ003414D0017 (16 task orders, $5.9 million). These vehicles account for most task-order activity. CSBA's GSA Schedule seat spans 21 labor categories ranging from Research Assistant 1 at $63.96 per hour (bachelor's, 1 year experience) to Senior Subject Matter Expert 6 at $314.68 per hour (master's, 20 years experience), with security clearances required across all categories. Hourly rates reflect senior analyst and expert-level staffing, supporting research, analytical, and strategic advisory work.

Activity has remained low but stable — four awards in 2021, two in 2022, six in 2023, seven in 2024, and two in 2026 — with only three awards (combined potential value $2 million) facing ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months and thus minimal recompete cliff exposure. In its rare subcontractor role, CSBA has executed analysis of Russian Armed Forces trajectories under HII Mission Technologies (awarded October 2024) and contributed to cybersecurity architecture and consequence assessment alternatives analysis under the National Strategic Research Institute (awarded April 2023). CSBA's award portfolio concentration by NAICS reflects its policy research focus: Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities dominates with 57 awards, followed by Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (35 awards) and research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences (9 awards). By PSC code, Special Studies/Analysis—Intelligence (47 awards) and Support—Professional: Other (30 awards) characterize the work. The combined potential value across all 131 recent awards stands at $139.7 million, with $40.9 million obligated (29% of potential value), indicating substantial future pipeline.