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Defense Businesses for Sale

The contracts and clearances are what attract buyers initially, but what actually holds its value is a cleared leadership team that's been running programs for years and a contract pipeline with renewals already exercised.

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15

Active Listings

$7.3M

Median Asking Price

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Featured Defense Businesses

Showing 15 of 15 listings

Critical Infrastructure & Thermal Management Systems Integrator

Specialized systems integrator with $20M in booked orders for late 2026 and 2027, serving power distribution, traffic safety control, and AI data center liquid cooling sectors with revenue growing from $4.2M in 2022 to $11.8M in 2025.
Price$2.8M
Revenue$11.8M
EBITDA$81.7K

Technology Solutions Provider

A 30-year government contractor with $4.8M in revenue, two active DoD contracts, 75 past performance citations, and a facility security clearance, operated on fewer than 15 hours per week by the owner.
Price$4M
Revenue$4.8M
EBITDA$965.4K

Defense Communications Company

Defense manufacturing and engineering firm with 60% product margins, zero debt, and deep relationships across U.S. Special Operations commands generated $2.1M in revenue in 2025.
Price$6M
Revenue$2.1M
EBITDA($410.1K)

IT / Data Engineering Services Business

Over twenty years of subcontracting relationships in the intelligence community, with active contracts across multiple U.S. government agencies, a full-scope polygraph-cleared workforce, and $12.3M in annual revenue backed by multi-year contract vehicles.
Price-
Revenue$12.3M
EBITDA$383.6K

Industrial Fluid Handling Equipment Supplier

Vendor-agnostic industrial distributor supplying hoses, pumps, valves, and loading arms to petrochemical, military, and transportation sectors. Over $4M in revenue built entirely on repeat relationships with zero outbound marketing.
Price$3.5M
Revenue$4.1M
SDE$515.4K

Government / Commercial Construction Management Firm

Sole-source general contractor at California's only nuclear power plant with a permanent badged presence at a Space Force base projecting $3B+ in infrastructure spend over the next decade.
Price-
Revenue$46.7M
EBITDA$1.9M

Special Ops War Contractor

Defense contracting firm supporting special operations and special missions units with $15M in revenue, an $80M blanket purchase agreement, a technology partnership tied to $500M in earmarked government spending, and over 500 deployed contractors nationwide.
Price$12M
Revenue$9.2M
EBITDA$1.1M

Ship Repair & Maintenance Contractor

Full-service ship maintenance and repair business operating under two US Navy IDIQ contracts, generating $2.7M in revenue and $747k in SDE in 2024 after years of reinvestment.
Price-
Revenue$2.7M
SDE$747.3K

Maritime Services Firm

Four proprietary autonomous vessels and two 165-foot motherships generating $5.5M in revenue, with active military contracts and a regulatory first-mover advantage in autonomous vessel classification.
Price$21M
Revenue$5.5M
EBITDA$1.7M

Government & Commercial Services Company

SDVOSB-certified government services firm with six active federal contracts totaling $15.4M in contract value, including a seven-year NASA prime agreement in its second year, and a president managing operations independently.
Price-
Revenue$1.5M
EBITDA$130.2K

Engineering / Systems R&D Company

Government R&D and software development firm with over thirty years of federal past performance, a proven SBIR track record, and a $20M+ active deal pipeline serving defense and civilian agencies.
Price-
Revenue$6.9M
EBITDA$685.8K

Plastic Injection Molding Manufacturer

Precision injection molding and assembly operation serving military and defense clients for nearly thirty years, running at 30% capacity with room to double or triple revenue on existing equipment and staff.
Price$2M
Revenue$1.6M
EBITDA$400K

Software and Document Digitization Platform

Enterprise software and document digitization firm serving federal defense and civilian agencies, generating $14.4M in annual revenue with 95% recurring contracts and a clear path to $2.7M EBITDA.
Price$50M
Revenue$14.4M
SDE($152.1K)

Government Defense Contracting Company

Government commodities contractor generating $15M in 2025 revenue with a $34.8M active contract, $150M in cumulative contract wins, and a pending $270M ground fuels bid across the southeastern U.S.
Price$15M
Revenue$15M
EBITDA$1.8M

IT Business Serving the DoD

Defense-focused technology company with 80% recurring contract revenue, active security clearances across a 20-person team, and EBITDA that more than tripled from $277k to $1.2M between 2022 and 2025.
Price$8.5M
Revenue$4.3M
EBITDA$1.2M
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Due diligence

What to Look For

Practical guidance from hundreds of real acquisition conversations.

Contract Pipeline Quality

  • Ask the seller to walk you through each active contract showing what's funded, what's committed but not yet funded, and when things come up for renewal.
  • A clean pipeline with renewals already exercised is one of the strongest signals you'll find in a defense acquisition.
  • Understand the difference between funded work you can count on and options that still need to be exercised.

Cleared Team Depth

  • Get excited about clearances that are spread across the leadership team, not concentrated in one or two people.
  • Ask about clearance levels, how long staff have been sponsored, and what the continuity plan looks like during an ownership transition.
  • A bench of cleared leaders who've been managing programs for years is the asset that separates the strongest defense acquisitions from the rest.

Prime vs Sub Relationships

  • Prime contractor relationships give you direct access to the government client, which is far more durable than a subcontractor position.
  • Subcontractor positions can be restructured or cut when a prime decides to bring work in-house.
  • Ask which programs the company leads versus supports, and how long each prime relationship has been in place.

Financial Organization

  • Approved accounting systems, quality certifications, and compliance documentation already in place are worth getting excited about.
  • These took years to build and are what allow a defense company to compete for certain contract types.
  • Ask which certifications exist and whether any are due for renewal in the next 12 months.

Management Team Continuity

  • Ask how long the leadership team has been in place and which contracts each person manages.
  • Defense businesses where a president, finance director, and project leads have been running things for years are worth significantly more than founder-dependent operations.
  • Find out who handles operations when the owner is out and how that has worked in practice.

Valuation

What Should You Expect to Pay?

3x-5x

SDE

Owner-dependent, smaller programs

5x-8x

EBITDA

Deep management team, multi-year funded contracts

The spread comes down to contract strength, how deep the cleared team is, and whether the management team runs the business without the owner's daily involvement.

What drives a premium

Majority of staff hold active security clearances at multiple levels

Multi-year funded government contracts with documented renewal history

Prime contractor status with direct government agency relationships

Approved accounting system and quality certifications already in place

SBA Loan Calculator

See what your monthly payments would look like at different deal sizes

Thinking About Selling?

Read our owner's guide to selling a defense business, with valuation tips, buyer expectations, and step-by-step advice.

Read the Owner's Guide

FAQ

Defense Business Acquisition

What should I look for when buying a defense business?

The contract pipeline and the cleared team are the two things that matter most. Ask the seller to walk you through each contract showing what's funded versus committed, then ask about team clearance levels and tenure. Strong defense acquisitions have multiple cleared leaders, direct prime contractor relationships, and contracts that have been renewed at least once already. Browse defense businesses for sale on Rejigg to see what's available.

How much does a defense business cost?

Most defense contractors sell for 3 to 8 times annual profit. Businesses with cleared teams, multi-year funded contracts, and strong management in place reach the higher end. Smaller, owner-dependent firms with short-term contracts land lower. Use the SBA loan calculator to model financing at different price points.

How do I evaluate a defense business before buying?

Start with the contract list. Ask for a breakdown of funded work, option periods, and renewal history for each program. Then review team composition: who is cleared, at what levels, and how long they've been with the company. Ask which contracts the founder personally manages and how knowledge transfer would work. Certifications, compliance programs, and accounting systems should also be on your checklist.

What due diligence questions should I ask about a defense business?

Ask whether the company is a prime or subcontractor on each major program. Ask what happens to facility clearances and special designations when ownership changes. Find out what percentage of the contracts have been renewed at least once and what the typical renewal process looks like. Ask who manages each client relationship day to day and how long that person has been in the role.

Where can I find defense businesses for sale?

Rejigg connects buyers directly with defense business owners. You can browse defense businesses for sale on Rejigg and message sellers without going through a broker. Many defense business owners prefer this approach because it keeps buyer conversations confidential and structured.

How do facility clearances and 8(a) status transfer when buying a defense company?

Facility clearances require a government review when ownership changes, which typically adds a few months to the closing timeline. Individual employee clearances stay active as long as employees remain sponsored under the new ownership. Special designations like 8(a) and SDVOSB are tied to ownership requirements and usually cannot transfer in a standard acquisition. Understanding how much of your target's revenue depends on those designations versus unrestricted work is an important early question.

Is SBA financing available for buying a defense contractor?

Defense contractors are generally SBA-eligible, and the stable government revenue stream can make a compelling lending case. Lenders will look carefully at contract duration, renewal history, and whether revenue is concentrated in a single government agency. The SBA loan calculator can help you think through what down payment and monthly payments look like before you start negotiations.