Bart M. Kenney

Bart M. Kenney serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. He specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge engineering solutions from laboratory innovation to operational capability, ensuring alignment with DoD acquisition regulations and technical performance requirements. Kenney maintains consistent, long-term relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are centered on high-technical-risk R&D initiatives requiring deep domain expertise in propulsion systems, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite manufacturing. His negotiation approach emphasizes technical rigor, risk-sharing frameworks, and performance-based contracting to ensure innovation is delivered on schedule and within technical specifications. Kenney’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of his acquisitions conducted under no set-aside categories. He does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead prioritizing technical capability and mission-critical readiness over socioeconomic preferences. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the research being procured, where only a limited pool of qualified industry partners possess the requisite expertise. His primary procurement activity falls under NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he consistently sources advanced materials science, computational fluid dynamics modeling, propulsion system prototyping, and hypersonic test infrastructure. His domain expertise spans thermodynamics, aerospace materials, and flight control systems, making him a key enabler of the Air Force’s next-generation propulsion roadmap.