James T. Friel

James T. Friel serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where he plays a critical role in acquiring advanced scientific and engineering capabilities to support naval innovation and national security. He manages complex research and development procurements aligned with NRL’s mission to advance next-generation maritime technologies, including electronic warfare systems, signal processing architectures, autonomous navigation platforms, and high-precision sensor integration. His acquisitions are primarily performance-based, leveraging FAR Part 36 and FAR Part 35 authorities to secure mission-critical R&D services and specialized hardware manufacturing. Friel ensures compliance with federal procurement regulations while fostering technical alignment between contractor deliverables and NRL’s strategic R&D roadmap. Friel maintains enduring relationships with a select group of high-technical-capability contractors, including ASSURANCE TECHNOLOGY CORP, L3HARRIS NEXGEN COMMUNICATIONS LLC, ENVISIONEERING INC, INTEGRATION INNOVATION INC, and ANALEX CORPORATION. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving prototype development, systems integration, and rapid prototyping cycles. He consistently engages vendors with proven expertise in electronic assembly, RF systems, and defense-grade instrumentation, prioritizing contractors with established track records in delivering classified and unclassified R&D solutions under stringent NRL security protocols. Friel’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 83.3% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic preferences. Nevertheless, he actively supports small business participation, with 16.7% of awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced approach that prioritizes mission need while encouraging competitive small business involvement. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712 (R&D in physical and engineering sciences), with significant activity in 334418 (printed circuit assembly) and 334511 (navigation and guidance systems). He specializes in procuring advanced electronic systems, embedded firmware, sensor interfaces, and engineering services that directly enable NRL’s foundational research in maritime dominance technologies.