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Contract Type Matrix

Partnership Intermediary Agreement
15 U.S.C. § 3715 / 10 U.S.C. § 4124

A Partnership Intermediary Agreement, or PIA, is an agreement with an eligible partnership intermediary to help a federal laboratory connect with small businesses, institutions of higher education, educational institutions, industry, and other potential partners that need, or can make productive use of, technology-related assistance from the laboratory. PIAs are commonly used to support technology transfer, commercialization, licensing, outreach, and collaboration between Government laboratories and the private sector.

A partnership intermediary may be a state or local government agency, or an eligible nonprofit entity owned, chartered, funded, or operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of a state or local government. The intermediary assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms, institutions of higher education, or educational institutions that can make productive use of technology-related assistance from a federal laboratory.

For DoD, PIAs are also addressed in 10 U.S.C. § 4124, which authorizes use of partnership intermediaries for Centers for Science, Technology, and Engineering Partnerships and Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories, subject to applicable DoD policy and delegation. DoD Instruction 5535.08 also recognizes PIAs under 15 U.S.C. § 3715 and 10 U.S.C. § 4124 as part of DoD technology transfer activities.

Common Applications

  • Services to facilitate technology transfer and commercialization
  • Connecting federal laboratories with small businesses, academia, industry, and other partners
  • Outreach, market research, scouting, and matchmaking for laboratory technologies
  • Support for cooperative or joint activities involving laboratory technology-related assistance
  • Increasing the likelihood that federal R&D is transitioned, licensed, commercialized, or adopted

 

Pros

Cons
Enables the Government to use an intermediary to support technology transfer and commercialization. Authority is tied to federal laboratories and applicable DoD laboratory/center authorities.
Helps laboratories connect with small businesses, universities, industry, and other potential partners. Negotiating and managing the agreement can take time and requires specialized technology-transfer expertise.
Intermediaries can act as third-party connectors between Government, industry, and academia. PIA work must remain tied to technology-related assistance and authorized laboratory purposes.
Can support proactive marketing, outreach, licensing support, and technology transition. Roles, deliverables, funding, IP, data, and conflict-of-interest issues must be clearly addressed.

 

Restrictions

  • Use is limited to eligible federal laboratories and DoD entities with applicable authority.
  • The recipient must qualify as a partnership intermediary under the applicable statute.
  • The PIA must support technology-related assistance from the federal laboratory.
  • PIAs are not general-purpose acquisition vehicles and should not be used to bypass procurement requirements.
  • DoD users should follow applicable DoD technology transfer policy, laboratory procedures, approval requirements, and delegation of authority.
  • Funding a PIA may be permitted, but the work must remain within the authorized purpose and scope of the PIA.

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