GOVERNMENT FIRST ARTICLE TEST

Thomas Instrument, Incorporated, a small business with CAGE code 5H860 and self-certified as a Small Disadvantaged Women-Owned Business, has been awarded a Firm Fixed Price contract valued at $130,187.00 by the Defense Logistics Agency under solicitation SPE4A6-25-T-70C5, with award date July 16, 2026. The contract requires the manufacture and delivery of 933 units of PIN, ECCENTRIC (NSN 5315013142430) and a single Government First Article Test (FAT) unit, with production deliveries due by January 12, 2027, and the FAT sample due within 180 days of award. The FAT process demands full compliance with technical data, material certifications, and inspection protocols, with a 120-day government evaluation window before final production delivery is permitted 184 days post-FAT approval, resulting in a total performance timeline of 484 days. FOB terms vary by item: production shipments are FOB origin at the contractor’s facility in Brookshire, TX, while FAT units are FOB destination with contractor-paid delivery to a government site. Quality assurance is governed by AS9100D, with all subcontractor requirements flowing down, and packaging must strictly adhere to ASTM D3951 and DLA Master List standards, including RP001 palletization and MIL-STD-129 labeling with prominent “FIRST ARTICLE TEST EXHIBIT(S) DO NOT POST TO STOCK!!!” markings. All items must be marked per MIL-STD-130N, though UID is not required. The contract includes DFARS and FAR clauses mandating export control compliance under ITAR/EAR, requiring JCP certification and DoD training, and is rated under DPAS for priority allocation of resources. Invoicing is exclusively through WAWF, with payment directed to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Columbus, OH. The contracting officer, Keisha Brooks, oversees administration, with no designated COR or COTR identified. The contract contains no option periods, and pricing is strictly balanced with the FAT clause priced separately at $500.00, excluded from the production line item cost. All technical data and changes require formal engineering change proposals, and government identification must be removed from rejected items prior to return or disposal.