A Broomfield aerospace startup just scored a nine-figure vote of confidence from the U.S. Space Force, with its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract ceiling boosted to $100 million after a fresh $93 million modification. Pivotal Space Inc., which does business as LEAP, now sits on a much larger indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity vehicle that the service can tap as it tests rapid resupply, integration and expeditionary logistics.
The Department of Defense's daily contracts notice for July 10 lists a $93,000,000 SBIR Phase III modification (P00006) to contract FA8821-25-D-B001 that raises the cumulative face value to $100,000,000 and identifies Space Systems Command at Peterson Space Force Base as the contracting activity, according to the Department of Defense. As reported by the Denver Business Journal, the change brings the company's cumulative contract value with the agency to $100 million.
What the contract covers
The modification cites "performance evaluation for resupply, integration, and global expeditionary enablement," language that points squarely at testing and validation work rather than an immediate hardware buy. A defense-contracts roundup from ClearanceJobs mirrors the notice and notes that no funds were obligated at the time of award and that work is expected to be performed in Broomfield through Aug. 29, 2030.
LEAP's hardware and the technology bet
LEAP pitches itself as a mass-manufacturable space logistics company focused on cutting part counts and speeding production. Its website describes Bullfrog as a simple, reusable vehicle meant for point-to-point logistics, hypersonic testing and orbital payload delivery, according to LEAP's website. That site and federal SBIR filings also describe a dual-mode rocket-engine approach and identify Springbok 1 as a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle the company is developing to carry useful payloads to low-Earth orbit, according to SBIR.gov.
Why the jump matters
Phase III SBIR IDIQ vehicles allow agencies to sole-source follow-on production, evaluation, or services to a small business that has completed earlier SBIR phases, so a ceiling boost like this can set the stage for a series of future task orders if the technology performs. A profile of the award on GovTribe shows the underlying IDIQ was awarded last year with a $7 million ceiling, a tidy example of how agencies can scale up an existing vehicle as their confidence in a contractor grows.
What to watch next
Space Systems Command will now decide whether to issue task orders that actually tap that higher ceiling. The clearest signs of follow-through will be sizable task orders, organized test campaigns or recurring production buys. LEAP's news page notes a Bullfrog demonstration in May along with Colorado hiring and facility plans, signaling that the company is positioning itself to scale if the Space Force turns that $100 million ceiling into real work.
