The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense-supported initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.
Under CTMA, NCMS forms collaborative partnerships between the Department of Defense (DoD) and private industry to enhance the readiness of our warfighters by providing new and innovative sustainment solutions and research on existing or legacy weapons platforms. Our primary role within CTMA is to facilitate technology development, deployment and validation for use with the DoD’s sustainment activities and at NCMS member companies. NCMS forms and manages the project teams to ensure compliance with CTMA guidelines and requirements. By combining North American manufacturing ingenuity with military needs, CTMA projects get critical tools and solutions into the hands of the warfighters without the added cost and reinvention that would be necessary in a non-collaborative model
The Department of Defense gets the best maintenance technology and ensures that legacy weapon systems and platforms are always ready when America needs them. Meanwhile, North American industry receives a key competitive advantage in collaborating for R&D with the military and ensures that its own innovations are put in the hands of those who will benefit most from their application.
Who Participates?
NCMS members (government services) and the DoD sustainment activities are the primary participants in this innovative program.
CTMA Requirements
The NCMS CTMA requirements are fairly simple. First, NCMS members and the DoD activities involved develop a concept paper, which forms the basis for the project. Industry participants provide significant match through in-kind contributions. The projects are limited in duration; typically less than 24 months with tangible benefits demonstrated by either industry or the defense maintenance activities.
CTMA Project Formation
Getting Started:
- All new project ideas need to be submitted to Chuck Ryan at chuckr@ncms.org
- The project ideas are reviewed on a periodic basis (roughly quarterly) by the CTMA review team which includes the NCMS Program Director, the DoD Program Director, and other DoD staff as requested.
- Project ideas are either rejected, the teams are asked for more information, or the idea might be assigned an NCMS project manager to more fully define the project effort.
Requirements for CTMA Project Ideas
- What new sustainment technology is being developed and implemented?
- Is there cross-service depot involvement?
- Is there sufficient industrial interest, including cost-share?
Process Steps for CTMA
- Targeted project ideas are advertised in the CTMA Connector.
- Under NCMS direction, the project team expands the project proposal into a concept paper can include:
- Introduction
- Background
- Project Description
- Objectives
- Tasks:
- Participants:
- Government
- Industry
- Deliverables:
- Anticipated DoD Benefits
- Benefits to Industry
- Technology Implementation Plan
- Cost
- Total Cost
- Cost Share
- NCMS/CTMA Contribution
- Period of Performance (in months)
3. Participant roles are defined in detail
4. Letter of endorsements received from DoD command as requested by NCMS
5. Qualification of in-kind by NCMS
The concept paper is then submitted to the Pentagon for review and decision (approval/disapproval). NCMS members are then obligated to sign a customized legal contract with mutually acceptable terms and conditions. The participating DoD facilities are often required to sign a letter of participation in the project
Point of Contact:
For questions and additional information, contact:
