Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Training!

Other Transaction Authority can be the key to expanding Business Opportunities within your Company!

OTAs are on the rise for two primary reasons: 1) their flexibility is well-suited to the less predictable, more accelerated process of innovative R&D, and 2) they are not subject to most standard acquisition laws and regulation from the Buy American Act to the Truth in Negotiations Act. The Competition in Contracting Act also does not apply to most OTA agreements, ensuring that protests are not a concern.  Importantly, the provisions of the Bayh-Dole Act relating to patent rights as well as FAR and DFARS provisions relating to agency rights in technical data and patent rights are not applicable to OTA. However, in practice agencies such as DoD still tend to still use such authority as the initial position in negotiating OTA agreements.

OTA Takeaway

Defense Contractors, especially contractors new to the federal space, should be on the lookout for streamlined OTA procedures to pursue research development and prototype opportunities in the federal marketplace.

Watch for the next entry in our ongoing series on the Fundamentals of Federal Contracting in which we’ll explore the  various parts of the FAR and walk you through how to understand these regulations and more importantly make you a more SAVVY contracting professional!