United Protective Technologies, LLC

United Protective Technologies, LLC, a small business manufacturer based in Locust, North Carolina, specializes in advanced nanocomposite coatings and protective technologies for defense and aerospace applications, competing exclusively under the total small business set-aside designation across its prime contract portfolio (94% of 72 recent awards). The firm is structured as a limited liability partnership and operates as both a prime contractor on SBIR and STTR research efforts and a subcontractor on engineering and field-support tasks for larger defense primes.

UPT's prime work concentrates heavily on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II awards, with representative contracts including a $5.3 million SBIR Phase II award from the Air Force Research Laboratory for the High Velocity Erosion (HIVE) System (September 2022), a $2 million SBIR Phase II contract from the Department of the Army for the LIGHTNING lightweight internal-combustion generator (October 2024), and a $2.9 million STTR Phase II award from the Office of Naval Research for nanocomposite coating research (April 2026). Coating research themes recur across UPT's portfolio—addressing corrosion resistance, wear reduction, electronic insulation, and specialized lubricants for military platforms—with projects titled "Super Lubricious Interface Coatings for Gears," "High Velocity Erosion (HIVE) System," and "Low Emissivity Transparent Hypersonic Atomic Layer (LETHAL) Composite." A secondary revenue stream flows from commodity mechanical component sales (bolt assemblies and clamps) through a $250,000 indefinite delivery contract with the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, generating small-dollar purchase orders and delivery orders totaling approximately $100 thousand across 2021–2025.

Customer concentration is defense-weighted across research and logistics procurement. The Air Force Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, and Naval Air Systems Command (Naval Air Warfare Center) anchor 61% of awards by count; by potential value (62% coverage), the Air Force Research Laboratory leads with $8.2 million across seven awards, followed by the Office of Naval Research with $6.3 million across five awards. The Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, despite holding 12 awards (the highest count), carries only $329 thousand in combined potential value—a stark contrast that reflects high-volume, low-value commodity procurement. UPT has worked with 19 distinct federal agencies, including the Department of the Army, the Naval Air Warfare Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, demonstrating broad defense ecosystem reach.

UPT holds two principal IDVs: a $250,000 single-award indefinite delivery contract with Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime for bolt assemblies (awarded December 2021, completed December 2022, with subsequent task orders extending into 2025) and a Phase II Basic Ordering Agreement with Naval Air Systems Command for high-temperature corrosion, erosion, and wear resistant coatings for small arms barrels and suppressors (awarded July 2021, running through July 2026). Task order activity under these vehicles has been modest; the indefinite delivery vehicle generated four task orders with $2.9 million combined potential value, while the BOA supported at least one task order of $1.3 million.

Activity has been uneven across the past five years: seven awards in 2022, declining to three in 2023, recovering to seven in 2024, then dropping to one in 2025 and two in 2026 through April. Five awards carrying $10 million in combined potential value reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure. In its subcontractor role, UPT performs thin-film coating engineering for tribological applications under Cambridge International Systems on Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development & Engineering Center work, and provides rotorcraft rotor blade improvement and field support engineering to Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation on the Test & Evaluation Technologies, Armaments, and Spectrum (TETRAS) program. UPT also acts as a sub-recipient on federal grants through the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, placing it within a broader defense manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.