---
alias:
- RI Tech
- RITech
- Radiance Ignite Technologies, LLC
- Radiance Ignite Technologies LLC
- Radiance Ignite
category: Organizations
created: 2026-10-03
location: Huntsville, Alabama
relations:
- fn: 5
  reverse: true
  role: president and chairman; registered agent on the Alabama record
  start: 2024-10-14
  type: director_of
  with: '[[Clayton Hinchman]]'
- fn: 5
  reverse: true
  role: vice chairman
  start: 2024-10-14
  type: director_of
  with: '[[Bill Bailey]]'
- fn: 7
  role: team on the Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing multi-award
    task order contract, per the Radiance release of September 9, 2026
  start: 2026-07-21
  type: contractor_to
  with: '[[Missile and Space Intelligence Center]]'
summary: 'Huntsville, Alabama joint venture of Radiance Technologies and Ignite Fueling
  Innovation: formation July 10, 2024 on the Alabama record, announcement October
  14, 2024, described as an SBA approved SDVOSB mentor protege joint venture.'
tags:
- Organization
- DefenseContractor
- JointVenture
- ServiceDisabledVeteranOwned
- HuntsvilleAlabama
updated: 2026-10-04
---

Radiance Ignite Technologies is a Huntsville, Alabama joint venture of [Radiance Technologies](/organizations/radiance-technologies/) and [Ignite Fueling Innovation](/organizations/ignite-fueling-innovation/), Inc.; its website describes it as "An SBA Approved SDVOSB Mentor Protege Joint Venture" and states that "Radiance Technologies and Ignite have joined forces."[^1] The Small Business Administration list of active mentor-protege agreements shows Radiance as mentor and Ignite as protege.[^2]

### Alabama record

The Alabama Secretary of State lists Radiance Ignite Technologies, LLC as entity 001-144-448, a domestic limited liability company with status "Exists," place of formation Alabama and formation date July 10, 2024. The one scanned document is a Certificate of Formation of four pages dated July 10, 2024. The press announcement of the venture is dated October 14, 2024, three months and four days later; both dates are recorded here as they appear in their sources. The registered agent is [Clayton Hinchman](/people/clayton-hinchman/), with a registered office in Huntsville. The principal address is "Not Provided" and the nature of business is blank; the record lists no members, managers or organizer.[^3]

The registered office is the same suite on The Bridge Street that the Alabama record gives for Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc. (entity 000-214-606, formerly Alatec, Inc.), while Radiance Technologies, Inc. lists a registered office on Bob Heath Drive in Huntsville. Ignite's record shows its registered agent's address as a Discovery Drive address until November 9, 2022; the Alabama corporation [The Sol Foundation](/organizations/sol-foundation/) (001-041-463), formed September 23, 2022, gave Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc. at that Discovery Drive address as its registered agent.[^3][^4]

### Announcement

On October 14, 2024 Radiance and Ignite announced "the formation of a new joint venture, Radiance Ignite Technologies." The release, issued by Radiance through PR Newswire, lists capabilities in technical intelligence, directed energy, space operations, electromagnetic spectrum operations, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and systems engineering, and states: "From developing advanced foreign materiel exploitation techniques to creating next-generation predictive analysis tools for space operations, Radiance Ignite Technologies will offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to meet the evolving needs of modern defense and intelligence communities."[^5]

[Bill Bailey](/people/bill-bailey/), Radiance chief executive, is quoted as vice chairman of the venture: "Teaming up with Ignite will bring together the best of both worlds to tackle the toughest challenges our government faces." Clayton Hinchman, Ignite chief executive, is quoted as president and chairman: "This joint venture serves as an incredible opportunity to combine our collective expertise and capabilities while leveraging Ignite's SDVOSB status."[^5] The Huntsville outlet 256 Today carried the announcement the same day.[^6]

### Small Business Administration agreement

The Small Business Administration list of active mentor-protege agreements (effective October 1, 2026, updated October 2, 2026) contains a row approved on May 23, 2024 with Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc. (UEI MU8VTWFS9QP8) as protege and Radiance Technologies, Inc. (UEI YXRLX5PDCWK4) as mentor, naics 541512, protege certifications "SDVOSB, VOSB." The Alabama certificate of formation of the venture is dated July 10, 2024. The same list shows Radiance as mentor to Offset Strategic Services, LLC (approved November 4, 2024) and Ignite as mentor to JBS Solutions, Inc. (approved July 29, 2024). The venture's own website describes it as "An SBA Approved SDVOSB Mentor Protege Joint Venture."[^2]

### Leadership

The venture's About page lists Hinchman as president and chairman and Bailey as vice chairman. It states that Hinchman became chairman and chief executive of Ignite in May 2020, medically retired from the [U.S. Army](/organizations/us-army/) as a captain after wounds sustained in Iraq, and holds degrees from the United States Military Academy and Georgetown University. It states that Bailey joined Radiance in 2001 and served as a research and development engineer at the [National Air and Space Intelligence Center](/organizations/foreign-technology-division/) and Phillips Laboratory.[^1]

### Capabilities and awards

The website lists six capability areas: intelligence (missile warning and tracking, threat modeling, all-source analysis), missile defense, space (including space domain awareness), artificial intelligence and machine learning (including a "Signals Intelligence Alert & Predication System"), electromagnetic spectrum operations and directed energy.[^1]

The only award attributed to the venture in the records opened is its position as one of three teams that include Radiance on the Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET) multi-award task order contract of the [Missile and Space Intelligence Center](/organizations/missile-and-space-intelligence-center/), announced by Radiance on September 9, 2026, with a period of performance from July 21, 2026 to January 1, 2037 and a task area titled foreign materiel exploitation.[^7] A USAspending search of prime awards and subawards for "Radiance Ignite," "RI Tech" and "RITech" (October 3, 2026) returned no recipient of that name; the website does not state the venture's unique entity identifier.[^8]

### Bid protest B-424401.1

The Government Accountability Office docket lists "Radiance Ignite Technologies, Inc." as the protester in file B-424401.1, solicitation number HHM40225R0025 of the [Defense Intelligence Agency](/organizations/defense-intelligence-agency/), filed April 9, 2026 and dismissed April 22, 2026, with Glenn Wolcott as the GAO attorney. HHM40225R0025 is the form number printed on each page of the final Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing request for proposals (see below). The notice record of that solicitation (HHM40226COMET), last posted April 23, 2026, lists a response date of April 27, 2026. The protest was filed in the name "Radiance Ignite Technologies, Inc."; the Alabama record is for Radiance Ignite Technologies, LLC (001-144-448).[^9]

### COMET solicitation

The Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET) requirement of the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (Defense Intelligence Agency, Redstone Arsenal) was advertised on SAM.gov through the Virginia Contracting Activity. A draft solicitation was posted on May 28, 2025 (HHM402-25-R-0025), a second draft on November 24, 2025, and the request for proposals (notice HHM40226COMET, form number HHM40225R0025) on March 2, 2026; the response date of April 3, 2026 was extended to April 10, 2026. The notices describe a multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year base ordering period and a five-year option, full and open competition, task orders of cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials types, a Top Secret facility clearance and TS/SCI clearances for personnel. The contracting officer named in the notices is Noryem Maldonado.[^10]

The solicitation states that "Awards will be made to all Offerors determined to be 'Qualifying Offerors'", that no comparative ranking, tradeoff or best-value determination is made at the contract award level, that no cost or price evaluation is conducted for the award, and that "twenty (20%) of the IDIQ awards are set aside for Small Business", with a 30 percent small business participation requirement. Its clauses include the limitations on subcontracting provision stating that "In a joint venture comprised of a small business protege and its mentor approved by the Small Business Administration, the small business protege shall perform at least 40 percent of the work performed by the joint venture."[^11]

### COMET solicitation, additional terms

The notices for the requirement (contracting office: Virginia Contracting Activity, 4545 Fowler Road, Redstone Arsenal; naics 541715; product service code AC23, "National Defense R&D Services; Atomic energy defense activities; Experimental Development"; contracting officer Noryem Maldonado) describe the set-aside differently over time. The presolicitation notice HHM402-25-R-0025, posted September 23, 2025 (planned release about October 20, 2025, planned closing November 19, 2025), reads under "Set-Aside Status": "Multiple Award IDIQ contract Full and Open Competition with a twenty percent (20%) Small Bussiness set-aside." The draft solicitation notice HHM40225RCOMET (created January 30, 2026, updated February 6, 2026) reads "Multiple Award IDIQ contract Full and Open Competition." The notice record for HHM40226COMET, created April 23, 2026 and modified May 31, 2026, carries the set-aside code "SBP" (small business, partial).[^12] Each of the first two notices states: "a TOP SECRET facility clearance is required and personnel working on Task Orders under the contract, whether or not performance is at MSIC facilities, must have a TS/SCI Clearance prior to working on the effort."[^12]

The final request for proposals (355 pages, form number HHM40225R0025) contains the following terms:

- Section H, after the off-ramping, graduation and on-ramping clause (H.12): "Existing contractors cannot hold more than one (1) COMET IDIQ contract at any given time" (page 81 of 355).[^13]
- Section G.16 on ordering: "Orders may be reserved exclusively for Small Business concerns. Other Than small Businesses will not be eligible to compete for TOS that have been set aside for Small Businesses. However, Small Businesses are permitted to submit proposals for Full and Open Requirements" (page 77).[^13]
- Section H.12 lists among the conditions that may lead to off-ramping that "a contractor is unable to recertify as a small business for option exercise and is on the small business segment of the contract" and that "a contractor loses its small business status due to a merger or acquisition," in which case the contractor "will be permitted to complete the current performance period(s) on previously awarded TO(s) but will not be eligible to compete for additional work" (pages 79 to 80). The same clause refers to "the small business or the other than small business pool" for on-ramping events (page 80).[^13]
- Section L, small business participation: "While twenty (20%) of the IDIQ awards are set aside for Small Business, the Minimum Quantitative Requirement (MQR) for Small Business Subcontracting is thirty (30%) of total contract value," with sub-goals of 5 percent for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and for women-owned small businesses, 5 percent for small disadvantaged businesses and 3 percent for HUBZone businesses (pages 336 to 337).[^13]
- Statement of work 5.2.1.1 (other than small business, "including small business"): an existing sensitive compartmented information facility meeting Intelligence Community Directive 705, with a minimum of 50 workstations "ready to be connected to the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS)," of which the prime owns no fewer than 20 and 50 percent lie within 180 miles of Redstone Arsenal (pages 27 to 28). Section 5.2.1.2 (small business) requires the same 50 workstations, of which the prime owns no fewer than five, with "No Prime Requirement" for the 50 percent within 180 miles of Redstone Arsenal.[^13]
- Section M, Factor I (Security, pass or fail): "The Prime Offeror must have the valid Top Secret facility clearance. If the Offeror is a Joint Venture (JV), the JV itself must hold the facility clearance. An Offeror that is a JV may not satisfy the facility clearance requirement by relying on facility clearances held by members of the JV," and the offeror must provide "their CAGE code identifying that the prime Offeror has a valid Top Secret facility clearance in accordance with the DD254" (page 348).[^13]

The Radiance release of September 9, 2026 states that "in addition to leading its own team, Radiance holds positions on two other winning COMET teams: one led by SAIC and one through its Radiance Ignite Technologies joint venture." Ignite Fueling Innovation's announcement of September 24, 2026 states that it was selected "through our joint venture with Radiance Technologies."[^14]

### Foreign materiel exploitation

The draft performance work statement for the contract ("PWS DIA MSIC MATOC Draft v1," posted February 13, 2025) lists five task areas and defines the second as follows: "Foreign Materiel Exploitation (FME) involves the reverse engineering of foreign weapon systems to analyze and understand their capabilities and vulnerabilities. The Center's exploitation laboratories are equipped with advanced capabilities in several critical areas, including software reverse-engineering (SWRE), radiofrequency (RF), electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) analysis, materials science, computed tomography (CT) imaging, and microelectronics." It adds that "A foundational component of FME is Explosive Ordnance Exploitation (EOE)", involving Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel, and that key support includes "transportation, storage, lifecycle management, and program management". The center's mission is stated as scientific and technical intelligence analysis of "foreign weapon systems".[^15] The Radiance release of September 9, 2026 names the same five task areas.[^7]

### Foreign materiel exploitation, final solicitation wording

The final request for proposals of the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC) defines the second task area in these terms: "Foreign Materiel Exploitation (FME) involves the reverse-engineering of foreign weapon systems to analyze and understand their capabilities and vulnerabilities. MSIC's exploitation laboratories are equipped with advanced capabilities in several critical areas, including software reverse-engineering (SWRE), radiofrequency (RF) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) analysis, materials science, adversarial-AI, computed tomography (CT) imaging, and microelectronics" (pages 17 and 18 of 355). The paragraph before it states that the foundational and technical intelligence analysis "directly enables the development of U.S. weapons and countermeasures" and is vital for, among other things, "filling gaps when foreign materiel exploitation is not possible." Section M, Factor II (technical and management capability) requires offerors to "demonstrate the ability to perform Foreign Materiel Exploitation (FME) as outlined in SOW paragraph 1.1.2" and to "clearly articulate the Offeror's expertise in reverse engineering of foreign weapon systems to characterize the capabilities, characteristics, performance, and vulnerabilities of the weapon systems," with descriptions of "the techniques and tools employed in software reverse engineering, RF analysis, EO/IR analysis, materials science, inertial measurement unit testing, 3D X-Ray computed tomography imaging, microelectronics, and Field Programable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)" (item 7.2.2.4, page 349 of 355).[^13]

### Other awardee announcements

Parsons announced a position on COMET on August 26, 2026 (trade press dated the announcement August 25 and 27), Modern Technology Solutions Inc. on September 2, 2026, Radiance Technologies on September 9, 2026, and Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation on September 17, 2026. SAIC is identified as the lead of one team in the Radiance release. The Radiance release states that the contract's period of performance runs from July 21, 2026 to January 1, 2037, and the Huntsville Business Journal of September 10, 2026 reported the Radiance award separately from the contract announcements of the United States Department of Defense for that week.[^16]

### Earlier Radiance and Ignite contracts

USAspending lists two subawards from Radiance Technologies to Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc. (formerly Alatec, Inc.): $906,326.71 dated November 4, 2013 under an Army Space and Missile Defense Command contract (W9113M13D0006, order 0003) for "independent programmatic and engineering support" and related studies, and $98,665 dated June 11, 2026 under Air Force order FA860426FB159 (identity, credential and access management software sustainment). Ignite is also listed as a subawardee under prime contracts held by SAIC (2023 to 2026), Parsons Government Services (2024 to 2026) and Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (2025), three of the companies that announced COMET positions.[^17] In 2017 a profile published by the Business Council of Alabama reported that Ignite had entered a [NASA](/organizations/nasa/) Shared Services Center mentor-protege agreement with SAIC and had had an employee stock ownership plan since 2012.[^18]

In June 2023 Radiance announced that it had joined Peraton on the $284 million SIA 3 Countering Advanced Conventional Weapons Analytical Requirements task order for the same center; Karl Walli of Radiance said Radiance had supported the center for over 15 years.[^19]

### Federal registration

The Alabama Secretary of State record for entity 001-144-448 was fetched again on October 3, 2026 and was unchanged: formation date July 10, 2024, one scanned document (Certificate of Formation, four pages), no members or managers listed. USAspending contains no prime award or subaward under the venture's name.[^20] The company website describes an "SBA Approved SDVOSB Mentor Protege Joint Venture"; the Small Business Administration rules for such ventures are at 13 C.F.R. 125.8 (joint ventures) and 125.9 (mentor-protege program), the latter providing that SBA must approve the mentor-protege agreement before the two firms may submit an offer as a joint venture and receive the exclusion from affiliation.[^21]

[^1]: Radiance Ignite Technologies website (home, About Us, Capabilities), fetched October 3, 2026. https://radianceignite.com/
[^2]: U.S. Small Business Administration, "Active Mentor-Protege Agreements," file "Active Firm List 10-1-26 with Details including Mentors (Exportable)," effective October 1, 2026, updated October 2, 2026 (rows approved May 23, 2024, July 29, 2024 and November 4, 2024); Radiance Ignite Technologies, "About," https://radianceignite.com/about/ ; Alabama Secretary of State, entity 001-144-448. https://legacy.sba.gov/document/support-active-mentor-protege-agreements
[^3]: Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entity Records, entity 001-144-448 (Radiance Ignite Technologies, LLC) and entity 000-214-606 (Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc.), fetched October 3, 2026. https://arc-sos.state.al.us/cgi/corpdetail.mbr/detail?corp=001144448&page=name&file=&type=ALL&status=ALL&place=ALL&city=
[^4]: Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entity Records, The Sol Foundation, entity 001-041-463, fetched October 3, 2026. https://arc-sos.state.al.us/cgi/corpdetail.mbr/detail?corp=001041463&page=name&file=&type=ALL&status=ALL&place=ALL&city=
[^5]: "Radiance Technologies and Ignite Announce Joint Venture," PR Newswire, October 14, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radiance-technologies-and-ignite-announce-joint-venture-302275375.html
[^6]: Bud McLaughlin, "Radiance Technologies and Ignite announce joint venture," 256 Today, October 14, 2024. https://256today.com/radiance-technologies-and-ignite-announce-joint-venture
[^7]: "Radiance Technologies Wins Position on $14B MSIC COMET Contract," PR Newswire, September 9, 2026. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radiance-technologies-wins-position-on-14b-msic-comet-contract-302874291.html
[^8]: USAspending.gov API, spending_by_award (contract types, indefinite-delivery vehicles, grants) and recipient autocomplete queries for the three names, fetched October 3, 2026. https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/search/spending_by_award/
[^9]: Government Accountability Office, Bid Protest Docket, file B-424401.1, "Radiance Ignite Technologies, Inc.," solicitation HHM40225R0025, Defense Intelligence Agency, filed April 9, 2026, outcome "Dismissed," decision date April 22, 2026, read October 4, 2026; SAM.gov notice HHM40226COMET, https://sam.gov/opp/89a9fc7e2aeb4a1191c75a3bb38e3bd7/view . https://www.gao.gov/docket/b-424401.1
[^10]: SAM.gov opportunity notices HHM40225RCOMET (draft, posted May 28, 2025; updated February 6, 2026) and HHM40226COMET (March 2, March 9 and April 8, 2026) with attachment lists, retrieved October 3, 2026 from https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/fe798b1b676243fcbd7259dc310cadef (also /80fbd320650b4030ae6690b9ee15bb24, /b94b4c2e3ecb4c64ab9ecda8713afd67, /c9a58d32cebd4bc8b545a8f92b6b08ac). Trade coverage: Elodie Collins, "DIA Issues $14B COMET Proposals Solicitation to Support Missile & Space Intelligence Center," GovConWire, March 4, 2026. https://www.govconwire.com/articles/dia-comet-14b-rfp-misc-missile-defense
[^11]: Defense Intelligence Agency, "UPDATED COMET Solicitation" (355 pages, posted March 9, 2026), Standard Form 33 and Sections A, I, L (4.5) and M (2.1), SAM.gov resource 360893303db9408a993d38d9270da5fd.
[^12]: SAM.gov notices: presolicitation HHM402-25-R-0025, https://sam.gov/opp/c3462f4d4988435694f9d28fc53b7127/view ; draft solicitation HHM40225RCOMET, https://sam.gov/opp/b94b4c2e3ecb4c64ab9ecda8713afd67/view ; solicitation HHM40226COMET, https://sam.gov/opp/89a9fc7e2aeb4a1191c75a3bb38e3bd7/view (opportunity records retrieved October 4, 2026).
[^13]: Defense Intelligence Agency, "UPDATED COMET Solicitation," 355 pages, form number HHM40225R0025 (Standard Form 33; Sections A through M; statement of work), attached to SAM.gov notice HHM40226COMET, retrieved October 4, 2026. https://sam.gov/opp/89a9fc7e2aeb4a1191c75a3bb38e3bd7/view
[^14]: "Radiance Technologies Wins Position on $14B MSIC COMET Contract," PR Newswire, September 9, 2026, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radiance-technologies-wins-position-on-14b-msic-comet-contract-302874291.html ; "Ignite Named Awardee on MSIC COMET through Joint Venture," September 24, 2026, https://igniteimpossible.com/ignite-named-awardee-on-msic-comet-through-joint-venture/
[^15]: Defense Intelligence Agency, "PWS DIA MSIC MATOC Draft v1" (44 pages, posted February 13, 2025), sections 1.1 to 1.1.5, SAM.gov resource 0354abfac6d94ecf93c5589637d7638b.
[^16]: "Parsons Awarded Position on $14B Billion COMET Missile and Space Intelligence Effort," GlobeNewswire, August 26, 2026 (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/08/26/3351158/0/en/parsons-awarded-position-on-14b-billion-comet-missile-and-space-intelligence-effort.html); Loren Blinde, "Parsons wins spot on COMET contract," Intelligence Community News, August 28, 2026 (https://intelligencecommunitynews.com/parsons-wins-spot-on-comet-contract/); Jane Edwards, "MTSI Wins Spot on DIA COMET Missile & Space Intel Support Contract," GovConWire, September 3, 2026 (https://www.govconwire.com/articles/mtsi-dia-comet-missile-space-intel-contract-spot); "INTUITIVE Awarded Position on DIA MISC COMET IDIQ," Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation, September 17, 2026 (https://irtc-hq.com/intuitive-awarded-position-on-dia-misc-comet-idiq/); "Defense contract roundup: Radiance Technologies wins position on $14B MSIC COMET contract," Huntsville Business Journal, September 10, 2026 (https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/news/2026/09/10/defense-contract-roundup-radiance-technologies-wins-position-on-14b-msic-comet-contract/); Sawyer Knowles, "Huntsville's Radiance Technologies secures $14 billion missile intelligence contract," 256 Today, September 14, 2026 (https://256today.com/huntsvilles-radiance-technologies-secures-14-billion-missile-intelligence-contract/).
[^17]: USAspending.gov API, spending_by_award with subawards=true, keyword "Ignite Fueling Innovation", 185 subaward rows, retrieved October 3, 2026. Rows cited: 13S-3010 (prime W9113M13D0006 order 0003, Radiance Technologies, Inc., November 4, 2013, $906,326.71); IDIQ-00038 TO 26FB159 (prime FA860426FB159, Radiance Technologies Inc, June 11, 2026, $98,665). https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/search/spending_by_award/
[^18]: "Newly Merged Huntsville Tech Company is Just Warming Up," Business Council of Alabama, July 20, 2017. https://www.bcatoday.org/newly-merged-huntsville-tech-company-is-just-warming-up/
[^19]: "Radiance Technologies Joins Peraton to Deliver S&TI Solutions to MSIC," PR Newswire, June 2, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radiance-technologies-joins-peraton-to-deliver-sti-solutions-to-msic-301841456.html
[^20]: Alabama Secretary of State, entity 001-144-448, fetched October 3, 2026; USAspending.gov API recipient and subaward searches, October 3, 2026.
[^21]: Radiance Ignite Technologies website, https://radianceignite.com/ (fetched October 3, 2026); 13 C.F.R. 125.8 and 125.9, eCFR text as of September 30, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-125