Bluehalo, LLC

Bluehalo, LLC, formerly known as UES Inc., is a Beavercreek, Ohio-based science and technology company that has served as a prime contractor and subcontractor for the federal government since its SAM.gov registration in 2001. The company specializes in providing advanced research, engineering, testing, and scientific services across multiple technological domains to the Department of Defense and related federal agencies. Bluehalo operates as a for-profit corporate entity and maintains its headquarters at 4401 Dayton Xenia Road in Dayton, Ohio, where it has established itself as a key research and development partner for the Air Force Research Laboratory and other defense organizations through its extensive portfolio of contract and grant awards exceeding $1 billion in aggregate value.

Bluehalo has provided a diverse range of goods and services through its federal contract awards spanning advanced materials science, aerospace technologies, directed energy systems, biotechnology, human performance augmentation, and specialized research infrastructure. The company has received significant prime contract awards from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Office of Naval Research, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Missile Defense Agency for work including advanced micro-characterization of materials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, development of vision protection materials and electromagnetic spectrum survivable materials under the HELMSSMAN program, biosensor technology development, biotechnology and biomaterials research, personnel protection against ocular threats under the Flash and Laser Airborne Protection System (FLAPS) program, and operational sensing and performance monitoring technologies. Bluehalo has also provided specialized laboratory services, equipment repair and maintenance for naval research facilities, and research into molecular mechanisms of physiological and cognitive performance. The company's contract work frequently involves substantial subcontracting relationships with academic institutions such as Texas A&M University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Colorado, Tufts University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Notre Dame, as well as prime contractors including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories, and specialized technology firms such as Alphamicron Incorporated, Intellisense Systems Inc., Gentex Corporation, and Advanced Glass Industries. Bluehalo has executed cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery orders and definitive contracts without small business set-aside designations, reflecting its competitive standing in the federal marketplace, with recent prime contract awards including approximately $75.8 million for the FRESH program, $148.4 million and $98.7 million for HELMSSMAN task orders, $25 million for the Advanced Development of Operational Performance Technologies (ADOPT) program, and $22 million for the Advanced Micro-Characterization of Materials (AMCOM) program.

Bluehalo has provided specialized research and development services through federal grant awards focused on biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies. The company has served as a subgrantee under awards from the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem, receiving sub-grant funding for initiatives including the Dayton Biomanufacturing Camp for Underserved Communities in July 2022 and additional biomanufacturing development projects in April 2024. The company also participated as a subgrantee under a University of Illinois federal grant award in November 2023 supporting development of the Cryogenic Hydrogen-Energy Electric Transport Aircraft (CHEETA) design concept, and received sub-grant funding from GE Vernova Operations LLC in October 2022 for work involving the design of niobium-based complex concentrated alloys using metallurgical facilities to produce lab-scale alloy ingots, apply heat treatments, and perform characterization, mechanical, and environmental testing. These grant awards demonstrate Bluehalo's engagement in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and sustainable technology development initiatives that extend beyond traditional defense-focused research.

Bluehalo currently holds seven significant federal contract indefinite delivery vehicles awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, reflecting the agency's sustained investment in the company's research capabilities. The High-Performance Electromagnetic Spectrum Survivable Materials Advancement (HELMSSMAN) IDV, awarded on September 10, 2025, represents the largest vehicle with a $499.999 million ceiling value and ultimate completion date of September 9, 2035, under which two task orders totaling approximately $247.1 million have been executed for vision protection materials and electromagnetic spectrum resilience research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Functional Responsive Experimentation for Systems and Humans (FRESH) IDV, awarded June 15, 2022, carries a $150 million ceiling value with completion through June 15, 2027, and has funded three delivery orders totaling approximately $149.6 million for biotechnology and biomaterials research, polymers and responsive materials development, and systems and human factors experimentation. The Technical Operations VI (TOPS VI) IDV, awarded August 22, 2022, provides $130 million for technical operations services across functional materials, structural materials, manufacturing technologies, and emerging technologies, with multiple task orders issued including a $17.8 million delivery order. The Aerospace Materials Processing, Performance and Characterization (AMPPAC) IDV, awarded January 20, 2025, carries a $97 million ceiling value through January 20, 2033, and funds delivery orders for advanced materials research including polymer matrix composites and multifunctional composites work. The Materials for Integrated Nano-Electronic and Optoelectronic Structures (MINOS) IDV, awarded May 1, 2024, provides $74.9 million through May 1, 2029, for advanced materials and photonic technologies research. The Ceramic Advanced Materials and Processes (CAMP) IDV, awarded September 30, 2021, provides $49.9 million through September 30, 2026, for ceramic materials and manufacturing processes research. The Manufacturing Research for Digital Utilization (MARDU) IDV, awarded September 29, 2023, provides $9.975 million through June 28, 2028, for manufacturing research leveraging digital technologies. All of these indefinite delivery vehicles are structured as cost-plus-fixed-fee arrangements without small business set-asides, reflecting Bluehalo's established competitive position and enabling the Air Force Research Laboratory to efficiently procure specialized research and development services across its portfolio of scientific and engineering priorities through task order issuances against these master vehicles.