Other Transaction Authority (OTAs)

An Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) is an acquisition instrument which allows agencies to enter into transactions “other than” standard Government contracts, grants and cooperative agreements.

As an alternative to the complex Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which may discourage small businesses and other non-traditional contractors from seeking to work with the Government, OTAs provide a commonsense, flexible, and user-friendly way of linking buyers and sellers of advanced technologies through a rapid, efficient and cost-effective acquisition instrument. An OTA replaces nothing. It simply is an additional tool that Congress has authorized to help Government program managers accomplish their missions.

OTAs offer great flexibility in tailoring the terms to a particular project and the needs of the participants, achieving the best approach to fulfilling the Government’s technology needs. Projects can therefore be awarded more quickly and cost-efficiently and engage more small and large businesses, as well as academic institutions.

INFORMATION WARFARE RESEARCH PROJECT (IWRP) 
The Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) has established an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to engage industry and academia to develop and mature technologies in the field of Information Warfare that enhance Navy and Marine Corps mission effectiveness. Join IWRP to access business and research opportunities focused on advancing information warfare research projects.

CONSORTIUM MANAGEMENT GROUP (CMG) 
Consortium Management Group, Inc. (CMG) is a nonprofit corporation created to serve as a highly responsive, transparent, and accountable consortium manager.

CMG currently manages three OTA consortia:  Consortium for Energy, Environment and Demilitarization (CEED); Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace (C5); and Naval Aviation Systems Consortium (NASC). Each holds a Section 815 OTA, which provides the legal framework and contractual means for members to collaborate with government customers to provide innovative solutions within the respective technology domains.