US Coast Guard
The Coast Guard sits inside the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense, and it buys parts and repair for its own fleet of cutters, boats, and aircraft.
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What they buy
The Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina is the Coast Guard's aircraft depot and supply center. It buys airframe and engine parts, avionics, rotor and drive components, and repair services for the fixed wing and helicopter fleet. The Surface Forces Logistics Center in Baltimore, Maryland does the same for cutters and boats: hull and machinery parts, propulsion, electrical and navigation gear, and boat repair, with the Coast Guard Yard alongside it.
Beyond the depots, the service buys new cutters and boats through its acquisition directorate, and its units buy local repair and services.
How they buy
Notices post on SAM.gov under the Coast Guard contracting offices. New vessels and aircraft go to primes on long contracts. The logistics centers buy parts and repair as requests for quotation awarded to purchase orders, with indefinite delivery contracts and blanket purchase agreements for repeat items.
Many parts are tied to a specific aircraft or vessel type, so notices often name the manufacturer part number and may restrict alternates. Set-asides are common on parts and services where more than one source exists.
How a small shop gets in
Register in SAM.gov and set alerts for the Aviation Logistics Center and the Surface Forces Logistics Center as contracting offices. Read notices for part numbers and alternate offer rules before quoting.
Contact the Coast Guard small business office, which runs outreach and can explain how each logistics center evaluates new sources. The service keeps aircraft and boats in service a long time, so parts for older platforms are a good place to look for items that need new sources. Respond to sources sought notices and expect first article testing on anything structural or safety related.
Not a DoD buyer
The Coast Guard follows the Homeland Security acquisition rules, not the Defense supplement. Its parts are not on DIBBS and its clauses differ, so read the solicitation rather than assuming it works like a Navy buy.
Related guides
- SAM registrationGet registered before anything else.
- Sources sought and RFIsRespond early to shape the set-aside decision.
- Recompete strategyFind repair contracts that are coming up again.
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