Category Archives: Press Release

New York, NY | July 18, 2026 – Ariel Partners has been awarded a contract by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) to build RHY Connect, a real-time shelter bed reservation platform for young people experiencing homelessness. The project is funded through a federal Youth Homelessness System Improvement grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funding reserved specifically for systemic modernization rather than incremental fixes.

The award gives Ariel Partners a leading role in one of the most closely watched civic technology efforts in the youth homelessness field nationally. As New York City’s Runaway and Homeless Youth system moves from overnight reporting to real-time bed visibility, the project positions both the city and Ariel Partners’ work as a model other jurisdictions may look to as they pursue their own HUD-backed modernization.

The contract’s implications extend beyond the technology itself. A single system of record will, for the first time, give the city reliable visibility into where and when young people are turned away for lack of an open bed, data that shelters and advocates have long lacked and that will shape how the city and federal government fund the sector going forward.

Ariel Partners leads the engagement together with Queue Associates and Streetlives, the New York City nonprofit behind YourPeer, a platform used by unstably housed youth across the five boroughs. Following an initial pilot, the platform is planned to expand citywide and, eventually, into the city’s transitional independent living programs.

Shilpa Strong, CEO of Ariel Partners, stated: “Some contracts are measured in ceilings and task orders. This one is measured in young people who find a safe bed because the system worked. As a New York City firm, there is no work we are more proud to do.”

The award builds on Ariel Partners’ decade of work on New York City homeless services systems for the Department of Homeless Services and its M/WBE certifications with New York City, New York State, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

New York, NY | June 22, 2026 – Ariel Partners has been selected as an awardee on NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) VI Government-Wide Acquisition Contract in two key service categories: Category B – Enterprise-Wide IT Service Solutions and Category C – IT Mission-Based Services. Each category includes a $20 billion contract ceiling over the ten-year ordering period from November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2036.

Receiving awards in both categories represents a significant milestone for Ariel Partners. SEWP is one of the federal government’s premier IT acquisition vehicles, enabling agencies to quickly and efficiently procure innovative technology solutions and services. Competition for SEWP VI was highly selective, with thousands of companies seeking a place on the contract. NASA selected 692 companies for Category B, which supports enterprise-level IT services including consulting, systems integration, engineering, and managed services. Category C, designated specifically for small businesses, focuses on specialized technical capabilities supporting agency missions, including advanced computing and data-driven solutions.

By securing positions in both categories, Ariel Partners joins a select group of providers able to support federal agencies across both enterprise technology initiatives and mission-focused programs. The awards strengthen Ariel Partners’ ability to compete for government-wide task orders supporting agile software development, legacy system modernization, cloud transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and enterprise IT service management.

Through these multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts, Ariel Partners can offer agencies flexible acquisition options, including firm-fixed-price, labor-hour, and time-and-materials solutions, while delivering the secure, innovative, and mission-focused technology services required to support today’s federal environment.

Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners, stated: “SEWP is where federal agencies go first when they need technology delivered quickly. Winning both services categories puts Ariel Partners at that front door for the next decade, and we intend to meet agencies there with the same disciplined, high-maturity delivery our customers already know.”

The SEWP VI awards extend a string of recent contract vehicle wins for Ariel Partners, including GSA POLARIS, GSA OASIS+, and the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD IDIQ.

New York, NY | March 20, 2026 – Ariel Partners announced today that it has been awarded a position on the General Services Administration’s POLARIS Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) through its joint venture, Ariel-BCT Partners, LLC, with Ariel Partners serving as the managing member.  

POLARIS is one of the federal government’s most significant next-generation contract vehicles, designed to provide agencies with streamlined access to advanced information technology and professional services. The contract is structured as a multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity vehicle with a ceiling value of up to $1 trillion and a ten-year performance period extending through 2036, making it one of the largest IT services procurement vehicles in the federal marketplace.

The award was made within the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) pool, a highly competitive category that received hundreds of proposals and resulted in a limited number of selected vendors across the country.  Ariel-BCT Partners JV is one of only 47 WOSB awardees and 102 total awardees across the WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, and small business pools

Through this award, Ariel-BCT Partners is now eligible to compete for task orders across the federal government, enabling agencies to rapidly procure services in areas such as:

• Digital transformation and cloud solutions
• Artificial intelligence and data analytics
• Cybersecurity and zero-trust architectures
• Systems engineering and software development
• Program management and enterprise IT modernization

The Ariel–BCP Partners Joint Venture brings together BCT Partners and Ariel Partners, formalized on July 26, 2022, to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of services spanning IT solutions, grants management, social services, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). BCT Partners contributes deep expertise in grants management, housing and social services, records management, and DEI training, while Ariel Partners offers strengths in legacy modernization, cloud migration, software development, agile governance, coaching, training and government transformation.  Together, Ariel–BCP Partners represents a highly capable and experienced supplier within the POLARIS ecosystem, well-positioned to support complex, mission-critical initiatives across both DOD and civilian agencies.

“POLARIS represents a critical gateway for delivering next-generation technology solutions across the federal government,” said Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners. “This award reflects the strength of our joint venture and our ability to compete and deliver at the highest levels of federal contracting.”

The POLARIS GWAC is designed to simplify procurement and expand access to emerging technologies, allowing agencies to issue task orders quickly without launching new full and open competitions. This enables faster delivery of capabilities in support of evolving federal priorities, including modernization, cybersecurity, and data-driven decision-making.

For Ariel Partners, this award significantly expands its federal contracting footprint and reinforces its position as a trusted partner for delivering high-impact technology solutions at scale.

New York, NY | January 27, 2026 – Ariel Partners is proud to announce that we have been officially certified as a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

PANYNJ is the bi-state operator responsible for some of the most complex, high-risk, and high-visibility infrastructure in the United States. It runs the region’s major international airports, including JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. It operates the PATH rail system beneath the Hudson River. It owns and manages the busiest bridge in the world, the George Washington Bridge, along with the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels that move hundreds of thousands of people into and out of Manhattan every day. It oversees one of the largest ports in North America and even manages major commercial real estate and sports infrastructure.

The Authority is currently undertaking several major construction initiatives, including the multi-billiondollar redevelopment of the region’s three primary airports: JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. The $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project began construction in late 2025 and is intended to replace the aging Port Authority terminal with a modern facility by 2032. In addition, while the $16 billion Gateway Hudson Tunnel project is temporarily on hold due to federal funding discussions, it remains a critical safety priority, as the existing 116-year-old tunnel tubes were severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy and will ultimately require replacement.

Adding this certification to Ariel Partners’ existing M/WBE certifications at both the city and state levels expands the firm’s eligibility to bid on a broad range of contracts with New York City, New York State, and the Port Authority. Many of these opportunities are set aside, either fully or partially, for minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition, authority granted under the NYC M/WBE program enables city agencies to directly award contracts of up to $1.5 million without formal competition, providing agencies with an expedited path to engage qualified partners.

“This certification reflects our continued commitment to operational excellence, transparency, and long-term partnership with public-sector organizations,” said Shilpa Strong, CEO of Ariel Partners. “We are pleased to have received the PANYNJ M/WBE certification, which further expands our qualifications and enhances our ability to pursue new business opportunities. We are proud to be recognized by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and look forward to supporting its mission through high-quality delivery and trusted collaboration.”

New York, NY | January 27, 2026 – Ariel Partners is proud to announce that we have been officially certified as a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

PANYNJ is the bi-state operator responsible for some of the most complex, high-risk, and high-visibility infrastructure in the United States. It runs the region’s major international airports, including JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. It operates the PATH rail system beneath the Hudson River. It owns and manages the busiest bridge in the world, the George Washington Bridge, along with the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels that move hundreds of thousands of people into and out of Manhattan every day. It oversees one of the largest ports in North America and even manages major commercial real estate and sports infrastructure.

The Authority is currently undertaking several major construction initiatives, including the multi-billiondollar redevelopment of the region’s three primary airports: JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. The $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project began construction in late 2025 and is intended to replace the aging Port Authority terminal with a modern facility by 2032. In addition, while the $16 billion Gateway Hudson Tunnel project is temporarily on hold due to federal funding discussions, it remains a critical safety priority, as the existing 116-year-old tunnel tubes were severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy and will ultimately require replacement.

Adding this certification to Ariel Partners’ existing M/WBE certifications at both the city and state levels expands the firm’s eligibility to bid on a broad range of contracts with New York City, New York State, and the Port Authority. Many of these opportunities are set aside, either fully or partially, for minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition, authority granted under the NYC M/WBE program enables city agencies to directly award contracts of up to $1.5 million without formal competition, providing agencies with an expedited path to engage qualified partners.

“This certification reflects our continued commitment to operational excellence, transparency, and long-term partnership with public-sector organizations,” said Shilpa Strong, CEO of Ariel Partners. “We are pleased to have received the PANYNJ M/WBE certification, which further expands our qualifications and enhances our ability to pursue new business opportunities. We are proud to be recognized by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and look forward to supporting its mission through high-quality delivery and trusted collaboration.”

New York, NY | December 26, 2025 – Ariel Partners has become an authorized Resale Partner of ServiceNow, expanding our ability to support public-sector and enterprise customers that rely on the ServiceNow platform to manage mission-critical operations.

This designation enables Ariel Partners to directly support organizations that have already standardized on ServiceNow by streamlining access to licenses and aligning platform investments with operational and mission needs. The partnership reflects Ariel Partners’ commitment to working within its customers’ existing technology ecosystems while helping them maximize value from platforms they already trust.

ServiceNow is widely used across government agencies to support IT service management, enterprise workflows, and operational coordination. Many New York City agencies, in particular, depend on the platform as a foundational system of record. As a resale partner, Ariel Partners is better positioned to support these customers by reducing procurement friction and ensuring continuity across implementation, optimization, and long-term platform strategy.

“Many of our customers already rely on ServiceNow to deliver essential services,” said Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners. “Becoming a resale partner allows us to better align with their environments, simplify access to the platform, and ensure their ServiceNow investments continue to support mission outcomes.”

The Resale Partner designation strengthens Ariel Partners’ ability to serve government and missiondriven organizations by combining platform access with deep delivery expertise, helping customers move faster while maintaining compliance, security, and operational rigor.

New York, NY | December 11, 2025 – Ariel Partners is proud to announce that we have been awarded a position on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (MA-IDIQ) contract. The SHIELD vehicle—valued at up to $151 billion over ten years—serves as a primary contracting backbone for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense architecture, enabling rapid acquisition and deployment of innovative capabilities to protect the U.S. homeland and allies from ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats.

As an SHIELD awardee, Ariel Partners is now eligible to compete for task orders supporting key elements of the Golden Dome for America system, a multi-layer, space- and ground-based missile defense network modeled conceptually on Israel’s Iron Dome but operating at a far larger, global scale.

“Golden Dome is one of the most consequential national security programs of our time,” said Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners. “Being selected onto SHIELD positions Ariel Partners to bring our strengths in agile delivery, digital engineering, and AI-enabled decision support to a mission that literally safeguards millions of lives. We’re honored to contribute to this historic effort.”

The SHIELD IDIQ is explicitly designed to deliver innovative capabilities with speed and agility, leveraging digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), open systems architectures, artificial intelligence, and machine learning where appropriate.

Under the SHIELD contract, Ariel Partners plans to focus on several of the 19 technical work areas identified by MDA, including:

• Research & Development and Prototyping: Rapid experimentation, proof-of-concept builds, and prototype integration to de-risk emerging technologies for Golden Dome deployment.
• Systems Engineering & Integration: Model-based systems engineering, interface definition, and integration of complex, multi-domain systems spanning space, air, land, sea, and cyber.
• Software, Data, and Analytics: DevSecOps pipelines, microservices, data fusion, and AI/ML analytics to enhance sensor-to-shooter timelines and decision advantage.
• Cybersecurity & Zero-Trust Architectures: Designing and hardening systems to operate securely in contested and cyber-degraded environments.
• Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis: Scenario modeling, wargaming, and performance analysis to validate Golden Dome architectures against advanced threat profiles.

New York, NY | November 10, 2025 – Ariel Partners is announcing today that it has completed its NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment, formally self-certifying compliance with the foundational cybersecurity requirements that underpin the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework.

This milestone aligns with the U.S. Department of Defense’s implementation of CMMC 2.0, which became effective on November 10, 2025, and marks the beginning of a phased rollout that will make cybersecurity compliance mandatory across the Defense Industrial Base by November 10, 2028. As part of Phase 1, contractors handling Federal Contract Information are required to complete annual selfassessments and submit results to the DoD’s Supplier Performance Risk System.

By completing its NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment, Ariel Partners has demonstrated compliance with the security controls required to protect Federal Contract Information and has established the baseline necessary for CMMC Level 1 alignment. This effort included defining system scope, evaluating security practices against the NIST assessment methodology, documenting controls, and submitting the required assessment information through official DoD channels.

“Protecting sensitive government information is a responsibility we take seriously,” said Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners. “Completing our NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment ensures we are aligned with the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity expectations and prepared to support customers as CMMC requirements are phased into future contracts.”

NIST SP 800-171 serves as the technical foundation for CMMC Level 2, which applies to organizations that handle Controlled Unclassified Information. Ariel Partners has already initiated the next phase of its cybersecurity maturity journey and is actively working with a certified CMMC Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO) to pursue official third-party certification at Level 2. Ariel Partners anticipates completing this assessment within the next four months.

This proactive approach reflects Ariel Partners’ commitment to operational discipline, risk management, and long-term compliance with evolving federal cybersecurity mandates. By aligning early with CMMC requirements, Ariel Partners is positioning itself to continue supporting Department of Defense and government customers as cybersecurity becomes a formal condition of contract award.

New York, NY | October 2, 2024 – Ariel Partners proudly announces its dual awards under the GSA OASIS+ contract vehicle. The company has been selected as an awardee on the Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) track and an apparent awardee on the Small Business (SB) track. Ariel Partners will be working on the GS OASIS+ Contract as the managing member of the ICES-AP Joint Venture with Intelligence Consulting Enterprise Solutions Inc. (ICES). Ariel Partners has been awarded the Management and Advisory Domain as well as the Technical and Engineering Domain, which will enable us to provide a full range of management and consulting services as well as specific engineering, geoscience, or other technical professional services.

The GSA OASIS+ (One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services) contract is a Best-In-Class (BIC) contract vehicle designed to help federal agencies meet their procurement requirements for servicesbased solutions. OASIS+ is a suite of six multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a five-year base period and a five-year option term. Encompassing several domains such as program management, engineering, IT, and scientific services, OASIS+ provides agencies with efficient access to innovative expertise tailored to their unique needs.

With a 10-year performance period and a multi-billion-dollar ceiling, the OASIS+ contract enables federal agencies to procure comprehensive solutions while reducing administrative burden and procurement timelines. This aligns seamlessly with Ariel Partners’ commitment to delivering high-value, scalable services that address the complexities of federal operations.

“This award through our joint venture is a tremendous opportunity for Ariel Partners to expand our role in supporting federal agencies with transformative solutions,” said Craeg Strong, CTO of Ariel Partners. “As the managing member of the ICES-AP Joint Venture, we are proud to bring our expertise in Agile transformation, digital modernization, and enterprise consulting to help federal clients achieve mission success.”