Research and Innovative Technical Analysis (RITA)

The United States Marine Corps established the Research and Innovative Technical Analysis (RITA) Master IDIQ on October 27, 2014, with a final ordering deadline of April 28, 2018—the vehicle is no longer active and ordering closed eight years ago. The master contract covers operations research, studies and analyses, modeling and simulation development, and engineering support services in support of the Marine Corps Studies System program, including warfighting-related studies.

The RITA vehicle executed 13 task orders totaling $7.1 million in combined potential value, with 100 percent of that amount obligated. Ordering activity declined sharply over the vehicle's life: five orders in 2015, four in 2016, three in 2017, and one in 2018. The most recent task order, awarded February 2, 2018, was the UMPIRE STUDY with an obligated value of $544,838.82. Task-order values ranged from $50,260 for the MPEM DATASET UPDATE to $1,888,282.27 for the MSAS II STUDY. All orders were firm fixed-price contracts under unrestricted (no set-aside) competition.

Mantech Systems Engineering Corporation and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation dominated the vehicle by potential value, holding $3 million and $2.3 million respectively. Northrop Grumman led in order count with five awards; Mantech captured three. Booz Allen Hamilton and Innovative Decisions International each received two orders, while Power Ten held a single $50 thousand order. The Marine Corps was the sole customer across all 13 task orders.

Representative work included studies spanning tactical operations (Ground Combat Element Study, Tactical Cloudlet Study, Informational Warfare Study), logistics (Bulk Fuel Study II), personnel analysis (OPFOR Physical Standards Study, Manning Redline Analysis Tool Study), geospatial intelligence, and advanced research initiatives. The vehicle is closed to new orders and historical work has been completed or extended through 2019.

Contractors under the RITA Master IDIQ should have the capability to perform operations research, studies and analyses, modeling and simulation development, and engineering support services in support of the Marine Corps Studies System (MCSS) program. This includes but is not limited to conducting studies that relate to the nature, theory, preparation, and conduct of war fighting.