Introducing Buy American and Buy America certified lidar sensors

Earlier this week, we announced that Ouster digital lidar sensors are now Buy American and Buy America certified. These certifications qualify Ouster lidar sensors to be purchased by government agencies using their federal funding and grants. This marks a significant milestone as lidar is becoming a critical part of the connected infrastructure of the future – one that is safe, efficient, sustainable, and resilient. With the next wave of investments in infrastructure projects across the United States and the world, Ouster is committed to making our products readily accessible to customers in the smart infrastructure and mobility markets. 

If you are interested in learning more about our Buy American and Buy America certified sensors, please reach out to our team! 

Buy American and Buy America certifications are important criteria for US government procurement 

The Buy American and Buy America Acts (similar, but different!) require the U.S. government to prefer U.S.-made products when making purchases on goods and materials. These requirements also extend to non-government purchasers if a project utilizes federal funds. Currently, over 80% of state and local transportation projects across the United States depend on federal funding, which require Buy American or Buy America certified products when available. 

• Buy American certification is required for direct purchases by the U.S. federal government valued over USD $10,000. 
• Buy America certification is required for purchases of manufactured products for mass-transit and infrastructure projects by states and local governments, such as public transit systems and local roads. This statue is regulated by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). 

The Buy American and Buy America requirements are the most stringent of all “Made in America” regulations, and not to be confused with uncertified claims like “Made in the USA” or “Assembled in the USA” that other manufacturers often use.

Ouster lidar sensors with Buy American and Buy America certifications are considered to be 100% manufactured in the United States and considered to be 100% made from U.S. domestically sourced materials. 

Partnering with Ouster

With Buy America and Buy American certifications, Ouster’s digital lidar sensors can be purchased by all government agencies and private parties to use in their federally funded projects. Other customers also stand to benefit as they look to certify their own end products that incorporate Ouster lidar.  

Critically, customers will be able to continuously leverage their grant funding on Ouster lidar solutions as they scale from pilot projects today to larger deployments in the future. This could range from using Ouster lidar for pedestrian safety and near-miss analysis to achieve Vision Zero goals, to security and intrusion detection at high-value government facilities, to ensuring safe navigation on autonomous shuttles that operate on public roads. 

We also partner with public and private organizations to apply for new grants and have dedicated resources to guide this process. 

If interested, please reach out to our team to learn more about these initiatives. You can also read more about our lidar solution for ITS and for Security.