Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract
$15M JIATF-401 prototype OTA awarded to Kaizen to build and operate a centralized online marketplace for pre-screened buyers to discover, compare, and purchase counter-drone systems.
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) awarded Kaizen a $15,000,000 prototype Other Transaction Agreement (awarded May 8, 2026) to develop, operate, and maintain a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (c-UAS) Marketplace: a centralized online catalogue where pre-screened military commands, domestic law-enforcement agencies, and allied/partner-nation defense ministries can search, compare, evaluate, and submit acquisition requests for drone-defense systems, with tiered access controls for export-control and classification requirements. Kaizen built and deployed the platform from a blank slate in under nine weeks, running on its Taproot compliance-building-block library and Blacksmith AI configuration tool, and later added an AI Capability Planner letting operators describe a threat in plain language and receive layered-defense recommendations. Vendors already listing products on the marketplace include Anduril, SMARTSHOOTER, DroneShield, and AeroVironment; as of early August 2026 the marketplace had processed a reported $21M in counter-drone purchases.
Award detail
- Agency
- Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401)
- Award ID
- Ceiling value
- $15M
- Vehicle
- Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA)
- Awarded
- 2026-05-08
- Period of performance ends
Frequently asked
- What is the Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract contract?
- Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) awarded Kaizen a $15,000,000 prototype Other Transaction Agreement (awarded May 8, 2026) to develop, operate, and maintain a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (c-UAS) Marketplace: a centralized online catalogue where pre-screened military commands, domestic law-enforcement agencies, and allied/partner-nation defense ministries can search, compare, evaluate, and submit acquisition requests for drone-defense systems, with tiered access controls for export-control and classification requirements. Kaizen built and deployed the platform from a blank slate in under nine weeks, running on its Taproot compliance-building-block library and Blacksmith AI configuration tool, and later added an AI Capability Planner letting operators describe a threat in plain language and receive layered-defense recommendations. Vendors already listing products on the marketplace include Anduril, SMARTSHOOTER, DroneShield, and AeroVironment; as of early August 2026 the marketplace had processed a reported $21M in counter-drone purchases.
- Which agency awarded the Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract contract?
- The Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract contract was awarded by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) under a Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) vehicle.
- How much is the Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract contract worth?
- The Counter-UAS (c-UAS) Marketplace Development Contract contract has a value of $15M, awarded on 2026-05-08.
Sources & citations2
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Kaizen, a software startup, was awarded a $15 million contract by JIATF-401 to develop a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Marketplace; vendors including Anduril, SMARTSHOOTER, DroneShield, and AeroVironment already posting products; marketplace has processed $21M in counter-drone purchases
DefenseScoop: Pentagon's counter-drone hub picked software startup Kaizen to develop c-UAS marketplace for $15MVerified2026-08-04 - 2
Kaizen awarded a $15M prototype OTA by JIATF-401 on May 8, 2026 to build and operate the Counter-UAS Marketplace; built and deployed in under nine weeks using Taproot and Blacksmith
PR Newswire: Kaizen Awarded Department of War Contract to Build Counter-Drone MarketplaceVerified2026-05-08