Tecolote Research, Inc.

Tecolote Research, Inc., a for-profit Subchapter S corporation headquartered in Goleta, California, develops and maintains the Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools (ACEIT) software platform and provides cost estimating, financial management, program controls, and acquisition advisory services to the federal government as a prime contractor on 93% of recent awards and a subcontractor on the remainder. The company operates predominantly in full-and-open competition across multiple contract vehicles, with no SBA set-aside designations, though it regularly secures Total Small Business set-aside awards under OASIS+ and single-award IDIQs with space and defense customers.

Tecolote's core capability spans cost estimating and cost analysis, earned value management, financial management advisory, program management, and software development—with ACEIT as its proprietary flagship product. The company delivers these services across space systems acquisition, weapons development, financial management modernization, and defense logistics modernization. Representative work includes a $228.2 million delivery order from the Air Force for advisory and assistance services to Space Systems Command through December 2029 under OASIS SB, a $166.4 million cost-plus-fixed-fee order from Space and Missile Systems Center for financial management and program support to the Military Communication and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing directorate through December 2029, and a $147.7 million firm-fixed-price order from Space and Missile Systems Center for acquisition support services to the Acquisition, Analysis, and Training System program through November 2029. Tecolote also holds a $131.4 million single-award Space Systems Command Acquisition and Financial Services IDIQ (SAFS-3) running through September 2028, anchoring delivery to Air Force space operations. The company's software licensing business is substantial and recurring—dozens of annual purchase orders from DoD, NASA, Coast Guard, FEMA, and other agencies for ACEIT licensing, maintenance, and renewal, typically ranging from $4,900 to $137,350 per award.

Customer concentration is heavily weighted to the Air Force and space acquisition. The top five customers by award count cover 59% of recent awards: Department of the Air Force (956 awards, $497.4 million potential value), Department of the Army (174 awards, $14 million), Department of the Navy (166 awards), Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (139 awards, $2.1 billion), and Marine Corps (96 awards, $539.6 million). By dollar value, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center dominates—accounting for $2.1 billion of the combined $13.31 billion potential value across the entire award portfolio—followed by GSA Federal Acquisition Service ($1.55 billion), Marine Corps ($539.6 million), Air Force at-large ($497.4 million), and Office of the Secretary of Defense ($291.2 million). This concentration reflects Tecolote's strategic position as the sole developer of ACEIT and a trusted acquisition advisor to space systems commands.

Tecolote holds positions on multiple governmentwide and agency-specific vehicles. The OASIS+ Small Business IDIQ (awarded December 2024, ceiling $999.9 billion, base plus one five-year option through December 2029) and OASIS+ Unrestricted IDIQ (awarded December 2024, same ceiling and term) are the primary vehicles driving recent task-order activity in the space and defense sectors. The company also operates under GSA Multiple Award Schedules (Federal Supply Schedules GS35F5115H, GS10F0002K, GS23F0105K) with 183, 132, and 100 task orders respectively, delivering cost analysis, program management, and software development labor to civilian and defense agencies. A $51 million multiple-award BPA with Department of Energy (awarded January 2026, running through January 2031) supports project management and technical support services to DOE Headquarters. Additionally, Tecolote recently entered the Missile Defense Agency's Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) 10-year multiple-award IDIQ (awarded December 2025, $151 billion ceiling through December 2035) and holds a position on the Seaport Next Generation (Seaport-NXG) vehicle supporting Naval Information Warfare Systems Command.

Activity has grown substantially year over year: 30 awards in 2022 escalated to 128 in 2024, though 2025 slowed to 47 awards as of the source date. The recompete cliff is material—35 awards with ultimate completion dates in the next 24 months carry combined potential value of $493.1 million, presenting both recompete risk for Tecolote and opportunity for competitors. SCI-reported invoicing on federal service contracts above the $150,000 threshold totaled $400.8 million across FY2022–FY2024, with FY2024 reaching $152 million across 355 FTEs. Derived government-paid hourly rates on prime contracts ranged from $72.93 (10th percentile) to $165.45 (90th percentile), with a median of $133.24—reflecting a blend of junior technical labor, mid-level program management, and senior acquisition advisory roles. Across SCI-reportable prime contracts, subcontractors performed approximately 19% of contractor hours on average, with 157 named subcontractors over the period.

Tecolote's subcontractor relationships span specialized cost engineering, earned value management, systems engineering, and executive support functions. Named subs include Omni Consulting Solutions Inc. (veteran-owned small business, appearing on multiple Air Force and Space Systems Center awards), Alpha Omega Group LLC (minority and veteran-owned small business), Savi LLC (minority and woman-owned), Intervallo LLC (woman-owned small disadvantaged business), Integrated Data Services LLC, Wallender & Associates, Science Applications International Corporation, and Blue Sky Innovators Inc. On the prime side, Tecolote subcontracts to Applied Research Solutions Inc., Intrepid LLC, Torch Technologies Inc., Janus Research Group LLC, and others for specialized engineering and analysis support. The company operates as a feeder to larger primes including CACI, Parsons Government Services, KBR Wyle Services, Bowhead Program Management, and others, performing cost analysis, program management, and technical support on Navy, Army, and Air Force programs. GSA labor portfolio spans 78 categories at $46.39–$331.69 per hour, covering IT technicians through PhD-level subject matter experts in cost analysis, program management, financial management, and systems engineering, with no security-clearance-restricted roles.

PROVIDE ANALYTICAL SERVICES IN ENGINEERING, ECONOMICS, & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TO GOVERNMENT & INDUSTRY. OUR PRIMARY BUSINESS IS COST, SCHEDULE & RISK ANALYSIS & CONSULTING FOR VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE DOD. PROVIDE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MGMT SERVICES