Wright Electric Inc.

Wright Electric Inc., a small business based in Malta, New York (with noted operations in Ballston Spa, New York), develops lightweight electric power generation systems, autonomous ground vehicles, and advanced battery technologies for defense and aerospace customers as a prime contractor operating exclusively under small-business set-asides and full-and-open solicitations, with no subcontract footprint. The company's recent federal footprint spans 14 awards—all in a prime role—across research and development contracts in physical, engineering, and life sciences (9 awards) and engineering services, concentrated in SBIR Phase II and Phase III development contracts and Department of Defense and civilian space-agency research partnerships.

Wright Electric's customer base centers on defense and space research agencies. The Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Materiel Command account for six awards valued at $7.4 million combined, anchoring the portfolio with SBIR Phase II and Phase III work on the DYNAMO 30kW generator ($4 million definitive contract awarded January 2023), the START autonomous ground vehicle platform ($1.25 million Phase II through November 2025), and the BEEDLE battlefield expeditionary energy and logistics system ($1.25 million Phase II completed November 2024). NASA accounts for two awards totaling $7.4 million: a $340 thousand Phase III contract through NASA Shared Services Center for the Aerialist second-generation motor for large electric aircraft propulsion (completed November 2023) and a $7.4 million partnership with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center on advanced propulsion systems. The Office of the Secretary of Defense awarded a $5 million definitive contract in January 2026 for DYNAMO lightweight start cart and generator development through September 2027, representing the most recent and largest single award. The Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Eastern Region awarded a $4.5 million grant in December 2024 under the FAST-SAF and FAST-Tech program (CFDA 20.115) for enhanced testing of a MW electric ducted fan and ultra-high energy battery, running through November 2027. The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency funds a cooperative agreement on modular aluminum-air flow battery system development in partnership with Columbia University, with Phase 2 transition execution through January 2026.

Activity has remained modest and flat—two awards in 2021 and 2022 each, three in 2023, four in 2024, and one in 2026 year to date—with combined potential value of $20.4 million against obligated dollars of $26 million. Three awards totaling $5 million in combined potential value face completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting moderate recompete exposure. The portfolio is dominated by small-business set-aside awards (SBIR Phases II and III and total small-business designations), with no full-and-open competition evident in recent work. Across all awards, Wright Electric's technical focus centers on electric propulsion systems, power generation and battery technologies for aviation and military field operations, with demonstrated capability in prototype development, testing, and transition to higher-technology-readiness-level phases.