Third Order Effects

What Third Order Effects does

Third Order Effects, LLC (3OE) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas (incorporated in Delaware). The firm provides governance, cultural, and strategic advisory services to U.S. military, diplomatic, and civilian government customers operating in complex and conflict-affected environments, primarily across the Middle East and beyond. Its stated differentiation is an analytical methodology centered on anticipating and mitigating the second- and third-order consequences of policy and tactical decisions to safeguard operations and enable enduring partnerships.

The company's service portfolio is organized into two practice areas. Strategic & Advisory Capabilities cover ministerial and provincial governance advising, security cooperation and partner-nation engagement, training and simulation support with role-players and SMEs, cultural advising and civil-military integration, and stability and risk assessments. Operations & Logistics Capabilities deliver contractor life, HR, and logistics support, including manpower recruitment, onboarding, payroll, compliance, equipment, and life-support systems in theater. Service delivery is performed by Top Secret/SCI SSBI-cleared staff and senior advisors drawn from retired U.S. Army Special Operations, Civil Affairs, and Air Force leadership.

Commercially, 3OE operates as a federal government contractor pursuing work through multiple IDIQ vehicles—SOCOM SOF Core Support, OASIS Small Business Pool 1, SWMS-B, and GSA—and named customers include the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are won via formal quotation or proposal processes, typically structured as multi-year contracts. The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investment, and operates with a 1–10 employee footprint supplemented by a bench of senior advisors.

Name

Third Order Effects

Legal name

Third Order Effects, LLC

Website

https://thirdordereffects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Third Order Effects (3OE) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that provides governance, strategic advisory, and operational support services to U.S. DoD, DoS, and civilian agencies operating in complex and conflict-affected environments, primarily in the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal Government Management Consulting

NAICS

International Affairs (928120), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Third-Party/Vendor Risk & Due Diligence (BPAHAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Third-Party/Vendor Risk Management (TPRM) & Due Diligence (BPAKADAH)

Keywords

• Governance advisory
• Strategic advisory
• Stability operations
• Civil-military integration
• Federal contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Contracting: 3OE generates revenue through federal government contracting as an SDVOSB. The company holds positions on multiple IDIQ vehicles including SOCOM SOF Core Support IDIQ, OASIS Small Business Pool 1, SWMS-B, and GSA, enabling it to provide governance advising, stability operations, logistics, and HR support to DoD, DoS, and other federal agency missions worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Third Order Effects provides governance, cultural, and strategic advisory services to U.S. military, diplomatic, and civilian government clients operating in complex overseas environments, plus the workforce, HR, and logistics support required to sustain those engagements. Its portfolio is split into Strategic and Advisory Capabilities (governance advising, security cooperation, training/simulation, civil-military integration, and stability/risk assessments) and Operations and Logistics Capabilities (contractor life support, HR administration, and deployment logistics), all delivered by TS/SCI-cleared professionals through federal contracting vehicles.

Product overview

3OE provides governance, strategic advising, and operational support services to military, diplomatic, and civilian government clients operating in complex environments. The company's portfolio consists of two interconnected service areas: (1) Strategic & Advisory Capabilities including Ministerial & Provincial Governance Advising, Security Cooperation & Partner Nation Engagement, Training and Simulation Support, Cultural Advising & Civil-Military Integration, and Stability & Risk Assessments; and (2) Operations & Logistics Capabilities providing Contractor Life, HR, and Logistics Support. These services are delivered by Top Secret/SCI cleared professionals through various contracting vehicles including SOCOM SOF Core Support IDIQ, OASIS Small Business Pool 1, SWMS-B, and GSA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ministerial and Provincial Governance Advising Expert guidance for host-nation officials and institutions at the tribal, provincial, and national levels in complex environments, delivered as a federal advisory service to military, diplomatic, and civilian government clients.
• Security Cooperation and Partner Nation Engagement Advisory and programmatic support for defense, diplomacy, and development teams, including security cooperation and partner-nation engagement activities for federal clients.
• Training and Simulation Support Scenario design, subject matter expert role-players, program of instruction development, and exercise execution support for military and civilian training engagements.
• Cultural Advising and Civil-Military Integration Embedded advisors for General Purpose Forces and Special Operations units supporting civil-military integration across inter-agency and coalition operations in complex environments.
• Stability and Risk Assessments Analysis of impacts, consequences, and interdependencies of policy or tactical actions to anticipate second- and third-order effects in stabilization operations for federal clients.
• Contractor Life, HR, and Logistics Support Tailored workforce solutions including manpower recruitment, onboarding, payroll, compliance, HR administration, equipment, vehicles, and life-support systems for federal engagements.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered affiliated.

• Civil Affairs Team Room (CATR)affiliatedStrategic or Co-development Partner3OE maintains an affiliation with the Civil Affairs Team Room, sharing resources and community connection within the civil affairs professional community.
• Civil Affairs Association (CAA)affiliatedStrategic or Co-development Partner3OE is affiliated with the Civil Affairs Association, participating in industry resources and professional networks including the ONE CA podcast.
• ONE CAaffiliatedStrategic or Co-development Partner3OE maintains affiliation with the ONE CA civil affairs podcast and community platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PAE (Amentum): Large contractor delivering logistics, stability operations, and life-support services to U.S. government in fragile states. Directly comparable as 3OE competes in the same contractor life-support, HR, and operational logistics space on similar overseas missions.
• SAIC: Major federal services integrator providing professional services and IT to DoD, intelligence community, and federal civilian agencies. Comparable as a competitor for governance, advisory, and mission support contracts on shared IDIQ vehicles.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Large federal consulting prime offering strategy, governance, and mission support across DoD, DoS, and civilian agencies. Comparable because both firms compete for governance, strategic advisory, and stabilization task orders, but Booz Allen operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• Caliburn (now Amentum): Provider of contingency operations, life support, and stabilization services for federal clients. Comparable because of overlap in contractor life-support and overseas operational logistics for DoD/DoS missions.
• DAI (Development Alternatives, Inc.): International development firm delivering governance, stabilization, and capacity-building services for USAID, DoS, and DoD. Comparable because both firms deliver governance advising and stabilization support in fragile and conflict-affected states.
• CACI International: Federal IT and professional services contractor serving defense, intelligence, and civilian customers. Comparable because both compete for DoD/DoS professional services work including advisory and operational support roles.

Direct peers

• DTS (Diné Tah'Naha Technical Services): Small disadvantaged federal contractor delivering professional and technical services to DoD and federal civilian agencies. Comparable as a similarly sized, similarly structured small business competing for federal advisory and program support work.
• Yorktown Systems Group: SDVOSB federal contractor providing training, simulations, and analytical support to DoD and federal civilian customers. Comparable as a similarly structured small SDVOSB competing for adjacent professional services and training task orders.
• Tatitlek Corporation: SDVOSB providing professional services, engineering, and logistics support to federal agencies. Comparable because of similar size, certification profile, and DoD-focused services portfolio.
• Orion Federal Solutions: Small SDVOSB professional services firm supporting DoD and federal civilian clients with strategy, governance, and program management work. Comparable as a like-sized SDVOSB competitor for governance and advisory task orders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thirdordereffectsllc7739/featured
• Xx.com/3rdorderfx
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThirdOrderEffects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-order-effects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Third Order Effects