Pentagon restarts work to craft $1B research support recompete
An aerial view of the Pentagon building. Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
By
Ross Wilkers
Three companies currently work with the Defense Department's main research and engineering office on aligning business operations and technology initiatives.
The Defense Department is picking up where it left off in its work to recompete a contract for working with DOD’s lead research and engineering office on identifying emerging technologies and shaping future requirements.
In October 2023, DOD first provided industry a glimpse at its plans for the next iteration of its so-called RETS vehicle that counts three companies as primes. RETS stands for Research, Development, Test, Evaluation, Engineering and Technical Services.
American Systems, Applied Research Associates and Modern Technology Solutions support the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in efforts to align DOD’s business operations and technology initiatives to the larger National Defense Strategy.
DOD’s release of this sources sought notice Monday represents the department’s restart of market research efforts for the new RETS, which like the current version could be a small business set-aside competition depending on the responses from industry.
The new RETS could also be competed as an unrestricted competition or via a government-wide acquisition contract, again depending on the responses from industry.
DOD anticipates the new contract will have a ceiling between $1 billion and $1.7 billion over a five-year ordering period, followed by a six-month extension option.
Awardees will compete to perform work across a broad span of task areas such as mission engineering, systems engineering, software development, developmental test and evaluation, prototyping, experimentation, modeling and simulation, operations research, science and technology assessment, data management and surge support.
DOD’s R&E office is responsible for advising senior department leadership on matters related to technology development and transition, prototyping, experimentation, and administration of testing ranges.
As we wrote two years ago, the RETS contract puts awardees at the heart of DOD’s technology innovation and business agenda.
GovTribe data indicates DOD has obligated approximately $419 million in task order volume to-date against the current contract. American Systems is the top recipient at $280 million, or 67% of the spend.
MTSI is next at $103 million, or 25%, while ARA has received $30 million to make up the remaining 8% of volume.