Virginia Contracting Activity

General Questions serves as a point of contact for the Virginia Contracting Activity, supporting the Defense Intelligence Agency’s mission to acquire mission-critical technical services that enable classified intelligence operations. While not holding a formal title, this role facilitates the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for high-priority acquisitions in research and development, engineering services, and specialized systems manufacturing. The position ensures alignment with national intelligence priorities by managing complex contracts for advanced data exploitation tools, real-time analytics platforms, and mission-specific hardware systems, often requiring stringent security clearances and compliance with DoD acquisition regulations. Contractor relationships are broad and diverse, encompassing both large defense primes and niche technical firms capable of delivering classified systems integration, custom software development, and engineering analysis. While no single vendor dominates the portfolio, the contracting activity consistently engages firms with proven expertise in secure systems design, signal processing, and electro-optical instrumentation. Partnerships are built on demonstrated capability in handling controlled unclassified information and adherence to NIST SP 800-171 and DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements. Set-aside preferences reflect a strategic balance between competitive open bidding and small business inclusion, with 21.4% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. There is no current emphasis on 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, indicating a procurement approach prioritizing technical merit and capacity over socioeconomic classifications, though small business participation remains a consistent component of the acquisition strategy. The primary technical focus lies in NAICS 541712 and 541715 for physical and engineering R&D, 541330 for engineering services, and 336611 and 334511 for shipbuilding and advanced navigation systems. Acquisitions center on systems that enhance intelligence collection, sensor fusion, and real-time targeting capabilities, with strong demand for expertise in radar, electronic warfare, and autonomous platform integration.