An “Other Transaction Agreement” or “Other Transaction Authority” (OTA) is a streamlined vehicle that brings innovative research findings and state-of-the-art prototypes from industry to the Federal Government. Congress created the first OTA as a contractual tool for NASA to acquire and apply breakthrough technologies at the advent of the race for space. Today, OTAs enable fast acquisition of critically needed technologies in areas as diverse as armaments, satellites, medical devices, and electromagnetic spectrum technologies.

• Unlike the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation), the OT-based consortium model allows government and industry to communicate more openly, from requirement generation to the proposal stage. This enables Government to more clearly articulate their needs in ways that support access to the cutting edge of existing technologies.
• Because the overarching contractual arrangement is already in place, OTAs focus on individual project awards, affording greater speed so solutions get to end users sooner
• It emphasizes engaging a diverse range of technology suppliers of all sizes, casting a wider net for capturing ideas and innovations

The OT authority consortium enterprise is good government in action – the competition it promotes between large R&D providers who routinely support the Government, academic institutions, and small and commercially-focused suppliers drives innovation across the entire US economy. If you are interested in joining the NSC and would like to review the Spectrum Forward OTA Base Agreement, please send us a request.