SeaPort NxG starts rolling admissions soon! This is an exciting opportunity for contractors to get onboard a thriving contract vehicle. This also an opportunity for incumbent contractors to re-evaluate SeaPort NXG opportunities and competitors. This blog is the first of a three part series that goes over trends and observations of SeaPort NxG as a competitive environment.
Specifics on incumbent contractors and their largest re-competes over 2024-2025 has been captured in 80+ pages of material featured here.
Overview
The SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) contract is the U.S. Department of the Navy’s mandatory vehicle for the acquisition of professional support services, led by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). SeaPort NxG procures support services in 23 functional areas in the broad categories of engineering support services and program management support services and is utilized across NAVSEA, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Military Sealift Command (MSC), and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) nationwide.
SeaPort NxG originally awarded 1,870 awardees a seat on the vehicle in January 2019 and added another 600 awardees in July 2021 as part of a rolling admissions ramp on. SeaPort NxG is expected to conduct another rolling admissions on ramp in the Spring of 2024.
Top SeaPort NxG Competitors
Understand that the above figures are based on actual spending FY2019 – FY2023 vs. task order ceilings. When we consider task order ceilings vs. actual spending, there is a significant gap between the two.
Booz Allen Hamilton has received the most funding on the SeaPort NxG contract vehicle thus far, with a total of $1.1 billion in spending to date across 39 task orders. Booz Allen’s portfolio includes support across several U.S. Navy customers, including Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), PEO Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I), PEO Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) and others. Booz Allen is followed by SAIC, who has received $755 million in funding across 31 task orders. Highlights of SAIC’s work include engineering and professional services work for a variety of customers and platforms including logistics, training and command-and-control systems.
Other notable awardees include Huntington Ingalls Industries, gained through the acquisition of Alion Science & Technology and their support for the Navy Integrated Training Environment (NITE), and IBM through its support for the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Technical Support Services (NETSS) task order.
CACI, Serco and GDIT have also received significant funding under SeaPort NxG. Noteworthy highlights include CACI’s support services for NAVSEA’s PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants (USC), Serco’s Shipbuilding Acquisition Program Management (SHAPM) Services contract, and GDIT’s IT support to Commander, Naval Installations Command (CNIC).
ManTech is also a top SeaPort NxG competitor through its acquisition of Gryphon Technologies, which provides engineering and systems integration expertise across multiple task orders. ManTech is followed by KBR, who provides support across systems engineering, test and evaluation, and cybersecurity support. Rounding out the top 10 list is BAE Systems, currently providing engineering support to the Aegis weapon system and other programs.
Top SeaPort NxG Users
Understand that the above figures are based on actual spending FY2019 – FY2023 vs. task order ceilings. When we consider task order ceilings vs. actual spending, there is a significant gap between the two. NAVSEA’s task order ceilings are considerably higher than NAVWAR task order ceilings, but actual spending for NAVWAR is higher.
Although SeaPort NxG is run by NAVSEA, a wide variety of customers leverage this vehicle to gain access to engineering and program management support services. Topping the list of SeaPort NxG’s use by funding is NAVWAR, which designs and develops communications and information systems. This includes the Navy’s C4ISR capabilities, business IT and space systems with programs managed by PEO C4I, PEO EIS and PEO Space Systems. NAVWAR also includes NIWC Atlantic, focused on delivering communication and network systems, cyber operations, ISR and business systems; and NIWC Pacific, which provides research, development, and delivery of C4ISR, cyber and space systems and capabilities.
Unsurprisingly, NAVSEA also tops the list, with most task orders supporting the engineering and maintenance of the Navy’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NAVSEA is also responsible for running the eight Naval Surface Warfare Centers (NSWC) and two Undersea Warfare Centers (NUWC). The most relevant centers to SeaPort NxG include NSWC Dahlgren, responsible for testing modern, high-powered munitions; NUWC Newport, responsible for the research, development, test and evaluation of submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and undersea weapons systems; and NSWC Carderock, which provides cradle-to-grave support for technical products related to surface and undersea platforms.
The Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) is also a significant user of SeaPort NxG, procuring services including engineering and program support for command-and-control systems (e.g., PM C2S), ground combat element systems (e.g., PM IW and PM LRF) and logistics combat element systems (e.g., PM MHTV).
Small Business Trends
| Fiscal Year | Total Spend | Total SB Spend | SB Spend % |
| 2019 | $5,972,088,584 | $2,904,633,081 | 48.6% |
| 2020 | $6,276233,921 | $2,925,914,499 | 46.6% |
| 2021 | $6,425,800,218 | $2,984,720,092 | 46.4% |
| 2022 | $6,710,374,727 | $3,137,057,688 | 46.7% |
| 2023* | $2,535,022,274 | $1,194,753,977 | 47.1% |
| Average | 47.1% |
In April 2023, the NAVSEA published its own statistics of the SeaPort NxG vehicle with data through March 21, 2023, showing the total vehicle’s spending compared to the spending awarded to small businesses. SeaPort NxG does leverage small businesses for a significant amount of awards, demonstrated by 47% of spending being awarded to small businesses. Note that potential ceiling award value is used in this chart, versus the actual spending to date analyzed in previous sections of this blog.
| Set Asides | # Awards | Percentage # | Total Award Value | Average Award Value | Percentage Value |
| 8(a) | 48 | 5% | $1,164,270,140 | $24,255,627.92 | 4% |
| WOSB | 51 | 5% | $346,804,277 | $6,800,083.86 | 1% |
| SDVOSB | 106 | 11% | $1,685,105,631 | $15,897,222.93 | 5% |
| HUBZone | 7 | 1% | $52,933,590 | $7,561,941.43 | 0% |
| SB | 430 | 44% | $11,889,202,303 | $27,649,307.68 | 37% |
| Unrestricted | 340 | 35% | $17,196,764,509 | $50,578,719.14 | 53% |
| Total | 982 | $32,335,080,450 |
NAVSEA also broke down the competition type used, showing that small business set asides are used most frequently, followed by unrestricted and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set asides. Despite the high volume of small business and SDVOSB set asides, these awards tend to be smaller in value on average when compared to unrestricted awards. Awards to 8(a) businesses are also significant given their average value of $24 million per award, despite being awarded much less frequently than other competition types.
Note that 85% of SeaPort NxG contract holders are small businesses, which likely helps diversify work performed by both large and small businesses. Notable small business winners include SEACORP ($164 million received), Bowhead Program Management and Operations (BPMO) ($157 million received), and Tech-Marine Business (TMB) ($150 million received).
The FedSavvy Strategies Takeaway
- SeaPort NxG is widely used across the Navy and USMC, meaning it is a viable means to access these customers.
- Booz Allen Hamilton is the biggest SeaPort NxG winner so far, with a variety of work across almost 40 task orders and realizing the most value overall.
- A few of the top 10 competitors gained their presence through acquisitions, including Huntington Ingalls’ acquisition of Alion and ManTech’s acquisition of Gryphon Technologies.
- Top users of the SeaPort NxG vehicle are NAVWAR, NAVSEA and its subordinate NSWCs, showing a focus on work supporting communications and information systems, and research, development, test and evaluation of munitions, submarines, and undersea weapons systems.
- Despite most of the competition being competed as full and open, small businesses hold a significant presence (47%) across this vehicle, showing that small businesses win more often than you may realize.
- There is a trend of a higher volume of awards going to small businesses and SDVOSBs; however, 8(a) businesses have been winning moderately sized awards, despite their relative infrequency.
Stay tuned for a continuation of this series focused on SeaPort NxG. The next blog explores task orders of great significance across SeaPort NXG so you can plan your use of this vehicle.
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