Albert Frantz

Albert Frantz serves as a BAA Manager within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s FA8750 organization, overseeing the solicitation and award of Broad Agency Announcements to advance foundational research in aerospace and defense technologies. In this role, he is central to the agency’s mission of fostering scientific innovation in autonomous systems, resilient communications, AI-driven battle-space awareness, and quantum-enabled capabilities. Frantz manages complex, high-risk R&D acquisitions that require technical rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and agile contracting approaches to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge science into operational advantage. His portfolio is exclusively focused on competitive, non-traditional, and academic-industry partnerships aimed at pushing the boundaries of physical and engineering sciences. Frantz maintains sustained relationships with leading defense and research contractors including Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin, Eaton Corporation, Technergetics, LLC, and Caelight, Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for established defense primes with deep technical capabilities alongside specialized small firms offering niche expertise in optical systems, signal processing, and advanced materials. His contracting patterns emphasize long-term, multi-phase R&D engagements, often involving prototype development, laboratory validation, and transition pathways to operational units. He prioritizes vendors with proven experience in classified environments and DoD compliance frameworks. Frantz’s procurement portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects the agency’s strategic emphasis on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical expertise, regardless of socioeconomic status, to meet urgent national security R&D objectives. While small business participation is not formally mandated, vendors of all sizes are evaluated equally on technical merit, innovation potential, and mission alignment. His primary focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he procures advanced capabilities in free-space optical communications, AI/ML for sensor fusion, quantum sensing, and resilient networking architectures. His expertise lies in identifying and contracting for foundational science that underpins next-generation aerospace platforms and mission-critical defense systems.