Touchstone Research Laboratory, LTD.

Touchstone Research Laboratory, LTD., a small business based in Triadelphia, West Virginia, conducts advanced materials research and development for defense and civilian agencies as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides, with essentially no subcontractor exposure (99% prime awards across 144 federal transactions).

The vendor specializes in composite materials, lightweight structures, metal alloy technologies, and advanced manufacturing processes for aerospace and defense applications. Recent representative work includes an $11.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract awarded by the Office of Naval Research on July 13, 2026, for research and development (ultimate completion July 7, 2031); a $2.99 million SBIR Phase II contract from the Missile Defense Agency for lightweight structures research applicable to future interceptors (completion July 30, 2026); and a $156,498 NASA SBIR Phase I contract awarded September 29, 2025, for development of metpreg fiber-reinforced aluminum for hard upper torso spacesuit components. The vendor also holds a federal grant award as recipient under the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy for molded graphite products synthesized from waste coal (cooperative agreement, completion December 18, 2026). SBIR Phase I work spans the Air Force Research Laboratory (Faraday shielding for critical infrastructure, $179,999), the Department of the Army (lightweight aluminum composite lifting technologies, $249,999), and earlier Air Force awards ($99,899 Phase I in 2022).

Customer concentration is heavily defense-weighted. The top five customer agencies account for 47% of awards and 92% of combined potential value. The Office of Naval Research anchors the portfolio with 8 awards carrying $21.4 million in combined potential value; the Missile Defense Agency follows with 21 awards totaling $12.4 million; and the Naval Air Systems Command contributes 10 awards valued at $5.5 million. NASA's Shared Services Center rounds out the top tier with 10 awards at $2.9 million, and the Department of the Army Materiel Command Research Development and Engineering Command holds 11 awards at $2.2 million. The vendor has served 31 distinct customer agencies since 1992. Research and development in physical and engineering sciences (NAICS 541715 and cognates) dominate the portfolio across 56 awards; PSC coding reflects deep specialization in space R&D, atomic-energy defense activities, and basic/applied research missions.

Activity has been modest and uneven in recent years — three awards in 2022, zero in 2023, one in 2024, three in 2025, and one in 2026 — suggesting execution-driven rather than pursuit-driven pipeline. Two awards carrying combined potential value of $8.9 million reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and face recompete exposure. The vendor places minimal work under parent vehicles; the two named vehicles (an indefinite delivery contract and a blanket purchase agreement) carry single task orders. Touchstone's single subcontract award (1% of total) is a Boeing sub-award under NASA's Commercial Crew Program for crew transportation system development and certification support.

Process and Product Development, Materials R&D, Testing Services, Industrial Problem Solving