RIO Tinto Services Inc.

RIO Tinto Services Inc. Technical Division, doing business as RIO Tinto Logistics, supplies high purity aluminum and scandium oxide to the Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency as a prime contractor under indefinite-delivery vehicle awards and delivery orders, with no set-aside designations. The South Jordan, Utah–based company is a foreign-owned for-profit corporate entity that operates primarily in nonferrous metals supply and refining, competing in full-and-open procurements rather than set-aside categories.

RIO Tinto's federal footprint is narrow and specialized. The vendor holds two active IDIQs with the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials Directorate: a $995 million ceiling indefinite-delivery, multiple-award contract for high purity aluminum (P0101A, P0202A, and P0404A grades) awarded May 8, 2026, through May 7, 2031, and a $40 million ceiling single-award IDIQ for scandium oxide awarded December 10, 2025, through December 9, 2030. Against these vehicles, RIO Tinto has received three delivery orders as of May 2026: a $2.63 million firm-fixed-price order for high purity aluminum with performance through May 12, 2028 (Hawthorne Depot, Nevada); a $24.8 million firm-fixed-price order for scandium oxide with performance through February 20, 2031 (Hammond Depot, Indiana); and a $2.01 million firm-fixed-price order for scandium oxide with performance through December 10, 2030 (Hammond facility, Indiana). Performance locations span Nevada and Indiana depots and production facilities. The Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials Directorate accounts for 100% of RIO Tinto's contract awards by count and $1.06 billion by combined potential value across five awards.

Beyond contracts, RIO Tinto is a recipient on a $2.01 million cooperative-agreement grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) awarded October 1, 2022, for assessment of CO2 mineralization potential at Tamarack's ultramafic intrusion (ultimate completion March 31, 2026). The vendor also subcontracts to Texas Tech University System on an energy-focused grant for enhanced hydrogen production through chemo-bio-physical stimulation (sub-award date October 31, 2024).

The vendor's recent activity shows acceleration. Combined potential value across all eight awards totals $1.07 billion, with only $38 million (4%) obligated as of the source date. Awards per year have grown from one in 2018 and 2022 to three in 2026 alone. One award (the high purity aluminum delivery order) reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months with $2.6 million in potential value facing recompete. RIO Tinto's customer set consists of three agencies: the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials Directorate (dominant), the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support ($3 million combined value), and the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency (grant work). The vendor operates in full-and-open competition with no recent set-aside activity and competes primarily under NAICS classifications for nonferrous metal processing and aluminum secondary smelting.