C5 is a consortium composed of leading companies and institutions in the C4ISR and cyber technology sectors.
C5 accelerates the development and deployment of new capabilities to the Warfighter through the use of Other Transaction Authority. C5 gives members an innovative and commonsense acquisition mechanism for development of new technologies and products to meet government customer requirements.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense requested that the Army establish a new OTA to address C4ISR and cyber-technology requirements. In response, C5 was formed. Based upon the simplicity and transparency of its business model, C5 was awarded an initial three-year, OTA with the Army in July 2014, and a 10-year, no-ceiling, follow-on OTA in April 2017. In April 2018, the Marine Corps Systems Command signed a 5-year no-ceiling agreement with C5 for the use of OTA.
C5’s Technology Focus Areas cover a wide array of technologies across several domains.
C5 OTA FEATURES:
- Broadens the technology base by reaching innovators not readily available to the DoD
- Converts “Government contracting” to commercial practices
- Rapid acquisition – Projects under $100M can be competitively awarded quickly
- Seamless transition from prototype directly into production
- Open to large and small businesses
- Flexibility in treatment of Intellectual Property
- Platform for public/private collaboration
- Project awards cannot be protested