The Fast Lane Isn’t a Shortcut: Strategic Entry into the Defense Innovation Base
Context Shift: The Path to Procurement Is Changing
The traditional path to defense acquisition—rooted in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)—has long been slow, risk-averse, and complex. While designed to manage risk, it often stifles the speed and flexibility innovation demands.
That’s changing.
Alternative pathways, such as Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs), are now reshaping access. Though some have existed for decades, their use has surged. OTA obligations increased from $1.4B in FY2015 to over $19B by FY2022, driven by trailblazers such as DIU, SOFWERX, NavalX, and AFWERX.
For tech companies aiming to break in or scale up, these channels offer a shorter, faster path from prototype to program—and a clearer path to achieving their mission impact.
Why It Matters for Innovators
Alternative acquisition authorities aren’t just regulatory workarounds. They’re strategic opportunities.
Done right, an OTA or CSO award can:
Unlock faster funding and pilot opportunities
Accelerate procurement timelines by avoiding traditional contracting delays
Build traction with end users and program offices ahead of a formal requirement
But the landscape is fragmented. Each authority has its own requirements, use cases, and limitations. What works for one agency or tech area may not translate to another. Innovators often struggle not with building great technology, but with identifying the right on-ramp at the right time—and with the right stakeholders.
This is where integration strategy becomes crucial.
From Access to Acceleration: Arcana’s Role
Arcana supports companies in navigating alternative acquisition pathways with precision and purpose.
Our experts develop strategies tailored to each client’s technological maturity, market positioning, and operational relevance, ensuring alignment with the programs, stakeholders, and end-users best positioned to enable a smooth transition.
Leveraging decades of experience at the tactical edge, our team operates at the intersection of mission demand and technological innovation, translating advanced capabilities into solutions that meet the operational relevance and acquisition readiness thresholds. Success requires alignment with real mission needs, buy-in from key stakeholders, and a transition strategy built to scale.
Strategic Insight
Defense procurement is no longer a one-size-fits-all system. It’s a dynamic network of alternative acquisition pathways all designed to accelerate innovation into the field.
For dual-use ventures and early-stage tech companies, the opportunity is real, but so is the complexity. Each mechanism comes with its own stakeholders, processes, and success indicators. Navigating them effectively requires more than eligibility—it demands alignment with mission needs, regulatory readiness, and a credible transition narrative.
Arcana equips companies to do just that—ensuring the right positioning, relationships, and strategic support to move with purpose through these pathways and into programs of record.
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About the Series
The Integration Brief is a weekly executive dispatch focused on the real-world challenges of transitioning emerging technologies into operational environments. Published every Wednesday at 1000 ET, the series provides concise, field-informed insights for technology developers, acquisition professionals, and national security leaders.
