Scale AI, Inc.

Scale AI, Inc., a San Francisco-based large for-profit AI and machine learning company, operates as a prime contractor (86% of recent awards) delivering agentic artificial intelligence, large language models, autonomous systems, computer vision, and advanced prototype development services to the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community on full-and-open federal contracts and Other Transaction Agreements with no set-asides. The company competes exclusively outside set-aside categories and maintains no SBA designations.

Scale AI's customer concentration is heavily weighted to defense-oriented federal agencies. The top five funding agencies account for 97% of combined potential value and include the Office of the Secretary of Defense ($322 million across five awards), the Department of the Army Research Development and Engineering Command ($214.7 million across four awards), the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support ($55 million across three awards), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ($36.9 million), and the Department of the Air Force ($32.2 million). These customers place a smaller number of large-value awards rather than high-volume task orders — OSD and Army alone account for more than half the combined potential value.

Scale AI's vehicle position spans multiple indefinite delivery mechanisms. The company holds a $99.49 million single-award Indefinite Delivery Contract with the Army Research Laboratory (two task orders issued to date, $4.52 million combined value); a $50 million single-award IDIQ with the Defense Logistics Agency under the Emergent IV initiative (one base-year task order for large language model development, $2.47 million); a $249 million multiple-award Blanket Purchase Agreement with the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Test and Evaluation services (through January 2027); and a $151 billion multiple-award IDIQ with the Missile Defense Agency for the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program awarded December 2025. Scale AI also holds multiple-award Other Transaction IDVs including a $45.1 million data-labeling vehicle from OSD (August 2025) and a $4.09 million naval platform-deployment vehicle from the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (September 2025). Three task orders appear under other parent vehicles (One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services, Indefinite Delivery Contract SP4701-24-D-0004, and Indefinite Delivery Contract W911QX25DA011).

Recent prime work exemplifies the portfolio: a $32.2 million definitive contract awarded by the Air Force in February 2026 for agentic AI development supporting the E-4C/Survivable Airborne Operations Center program through February 2031; a $27.9 million Other Transaction Agreement from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the Generative AI Joint Planning Tool (THUNDERFORGE) program (February 2025); a $36.9 million DARPA OTA for AI prototype development and data labeling (July 2023); and a $4.99 million Army Research Laboratory task order for basic and applied research AI support (August 2025). The Air Force and Air Combat Command have also awarded Scale AI two purchase orders ($1.5 million for the TRADEWINDS DONOVAN LLM platform integration, February 2025; $1 million for Project Zion involving the Donovan LLM platform within USAFE-AFAFRICA, March 2025). The Defense Information Systems Agency awarded a $2.07 million OTA for Project Ascend prototype work (November 2024), and the Marine Corps issued a $4.96 million OTA for Autonomous Perimeter Security prototype development (August 2022).

Activity accelerated sharply in 2025 — thirteen awards compared to five in 2024 and four in 2023 — though only one award has been recorded in 2026 to date. Eight awards carrying a combined potential value of $86.4 million face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure for the vendor and recompete opportunity for competitors.

Scale AI operates as a subcontractor to defense primes on intelligence and modernization work. Named sub relationships include Booz Allen Hamilton on a Modernization Analysis Readiness and Capability Threat and Training (SSMARTT) AI software and services engagement (September 2025); HII Mission Technologies Corporation on two technology-integrated services contracts supporting the Naval Special Intelligence Network and mission partners on ISR innovation and integration work (October 2024, June 2025); and CACI Inc. Federal on Full-Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Innovation and Integration-3 (F3I-3) effort as an ODC expense subcontractor (February 2024).

Scale AI's capability portfolio rests primarily on advanced AI research and development (ten awards under NAICS 541712 for R&D in physical, engineering, and life sciences), software and application development (nine awards combined under software publishers and custom programming NAICS), and engineering services (five awards). The top PSC codes reinforce this: National Defense R&D Services in experimental development and DoD-military categories account for ten awards; IT and Telecom application-development SaaS and perpetual-license categories account for nine awards.

Scale AI maintains a subsidiary, Illumina Computing Group Inc., certified as a Small Disadvantaged Business, though the parent company itself competes as a large business across its prime portfolio. The company has been registered in SAM.gov since January 2020 and has drawn $226.9 million in obligated funding against a $684.2 million combined potential value across recent awards — a 33% execution rate indicating substantial pipeline depth across its vehicle portfolio.