Title:
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Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the Economic Incentive Partnership Agreement between Seminole County Government and the National Center for Simulation in the amount of $50,000 for the purpose of supporting the efforts to retain the Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) in Central Florida. Countywide (Gui Cunha, Office of Economic Development & Tourism Director)
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Division:
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Office of Economic Development and Tourism - Economic Development
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Authorized By:
Gui Cunha, Office of Economic Development and Tourism Director
Contact/Phone Number:
Gui Cunha/407-665-2901
Background:
For more than 50 years, Central Florida has been home to the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), the Army's only acquisition headquarters in Florida and the cornerstone of the nation's Modeling, Simulation and Training (MS&T) industry. Today, the organization manages approximately $2.6 billion in acquisition programs, oversees more than 300 programs and 300,000 fielded systems worldwide, and administers $2.9 billion in Foreign Military Sales across 66 countries.
Together with the Navy, U.S. Space Force, academia, and private industry, PEO STRI anchors Team Orlando-a nationally recognized innovation ecosystem that generates an estimated $11.6 billion annual economic impact and supports more than 30,000 high-wage jobs. Florida has invested over $160 million to secure and retain this mission in Central Florida.
The U.S. Department of Defense is currently restructuring Army acquisition organizations, creating uncertainty about the long-term location and role of PEO STRI, which will transition to the Capability Program Executive for Simulation, Training, Test and Threat (CPE ST3). Maintaining this mission in Central Florida is vital to preserving one of the region's most significant economic and innovation drivers.
Seminole County is an integral part of this ecosystem, with numerous MS&T companies, nearly 1,000 residents directly employed by Team Orlando military organizations, and thousands more working in supporting industry and academia. Any reduction or relocation of this mission would have significant economic consequences for Seminole County, affecting high-wage employment, private investment, business growth, and the region's long-standing leadership in defense innovation.
Requested Action:
Staff requests that the Board approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the Economic Incentive Partnership Agreement between Seminole County Government and the National Center for Simulation in the amount of $50,000 for the purpose of supporting the efforts to retain the Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) in Central Florida.