HarborPoint develops and captures federal maritime business, and sources the vessels that perform it. The work runs across conventional solicitations, the research and prototyping pathways, and the commercial vessel market.
Market entry and positioning with program offices, requirement origination with the end user, pipeline discipline, price-to-win, teaming structure, and proposals carried through source selection.
Work that does not arrive as a solicitation — unmanned systems programs, prototyping and experimentation, and requirements still being written. Run through the non-traditional vehicles: SBIR and STTR, commercial solutions openings, prototype other-transaction agreements and prize challenges.
The tonnage that performs the contract — identified, qualified against the specification, diligenced, and negotiated onto federal terms.
Structured due diligence against pre-registered kill criteria, requirement and demand validation, capture strategy, and non-dilutive funding paths for defense-maritime ventures — including the discipline to recommend against a thesis that does not hold.
| Vessel owners & operators | Commercial tonnage seeking federal employment — charter, sale, or program work — and the compliance posture that comes with it. |
| Prime contractors | Firms holding or pursuing government contracts with a maritime scope they do not staff internally. |
| Unmanned systems companies | USV, UUV and UAS builders who need the host platform, launch and recovery, fielding and sustainment layer their systems assume but their company does not own. |
| Technology small businesses | SBIR and STTR performers whose topic needs a vessel, an offshore asset, or maritime domain expertise to be credible. |
| Defense-tech ventures & investors | Early-stage companies and their backers needing demand validation, capture strategy and a funding path before capital is committed. |
| Shipyards & naval architects | Conversion, modification and reflagging scope tied to a federal award. |
Retained advisory, broker of record, or support for a single requirement.
Building a government desk where none exists — segment selection, program-office and contracting-activity relationships, prime and subcontract positioning, and origination of requirements with the uniformed customer.
Opportunity screening, go/no-go gates, compliance matrices and proposal assembly — an operating rhythm rather than an ad-hoc scramble — through evaluation discussions and source selection.
Bottom-up pricing and breakeven day-rate models, with charter, purchase, bareboat and contractor-owned / contractor-operated structures compared on the Government's own basis.
Prototyping, experimentation and development work routed through the non-traditional vehicles — SBIR and STTR topic fit and teaming, commercial solutions openings and scout cards, prototype other-transaction agreements and their follow-on production hooks, and prize-challenge sprints. Including nontraditional defense contractor positioning.
UAS, USV and UUV programs from the operator's side as well as the buyer's — payload and magazine depth, launch, recovery and swap, embarkation and forward sustainment, C2 and the training venue. HarborPoint works the platform layer these systems assume and the pathways that fund them.
U.S.-flag and reflaggable tonnage screened against the governing specification — certification, endorsement, class notation, dimensional and endurance thresholds — plus offshore and non-vessel assets where the requirement calls for them.
Independent verification before a hull is named — classification records, as-fitted particulars, regulatory standing, ownership chain and condition.
Structured research against pre-registered criteria — does a requirement owner and a budget owner actually exist, who pays, and what would have to be true. Findings are reported as found, including when the answer is no.
Mapping a company's path through SBIR phases, prototype awards and follow-on production authority so that capability gets funded without giving away the company.
Continuous watch across federal procurement and the SOF and innovation submission channels, enriched with vessel particulars, incumbent precedent and contracting-office points of contact.
Mobilization through execution — delivery voyage, reflagging and certification pathway, shipyard periods, and coordination between operator, prime and Government representative.
| Military Sealift Command | Charter and voyage requirements across multiple vessel classes |
| Navy program offices | Special-mission vessel acquisition, conversion and support |
| SOCOM & PEO Maritime | Mission-configured platforms, unmanned systems, SOF innovation channels |
| Defense innovation units | Prototyping and prize-challenge pathways for maritime and unmanned capability |
| U.S. Coast Guard | Support and utility tonnage requirements |
| MARAD | U.S.-flag programs and VISA-participating tonnage |
| NOAA | Research and survey vessel requirements |
| Tankers | Product and chemical tonnage; military fuel resupply |
| Offshore | Offshore supply, platform supply and multi-purpose support vessels |
| Tug & barge | Jones Act tug and articulated tug-barge units |
| Special mission | Research, survey and mission-configured hulls |
| Support craft | Crew boats, utility and support tonnage |
| Unmanned systems | Aerial, surface and undersea systems; host platforms, launch and recovery, forward sustainment |
| Offshore assets | Fixed offshore structures and non-vessel platforms where the requirement calls for them |
HarborPoint Maritime is a single-principal practice working out of Houston and Tampa. Work is handled by the principal from first read through award.
It was founded by a former special operations logistician who moved into commercial ship brokerage and federal capture — a background on the receiving end of the maritime and unmanned capability the firm now sources.
Most engagements begin with a short call about one specific requirement — what it is, who actually owns it, and whether there is a path worth the effort. If there isn't, you will hear that first.