The Energy Department last week issued a draft request for proposals for a contract that could be worth up to $4 billion over 10 years to provide various support services to the Hanford nuclear cleanup site in Washington state.
The incumbent contractor is Mission Support Alliance, a partnership of Leidos, Jacobs Engineering, and Centerra Group. The current contract expires on May 25, 2019. The contract will have a strong focus on infrastructure and supporting planned infrastructure upgrades, DOE said in accompanying material.
DOE indicated the new contract would emphasize cost-plus-award fee line items. The draft RFP calls for “full and open” competition and stipulates that significant work should be carried out by small businesses.
Cost and fees will be considered “in the overall evaluation of proposals” in deciding the best value to the government, the Energy Department said. “DOE will evaluate the Offeror’s cost proposal for realism,” the department said in its evaluation factors for the contract award. A source evaluation board will also weigh issues including technical understanding, past contractor performance, and key personnel.
The department plans to hold a pre-solicitation conference and site tour during the week of Dec. 11, along with a community day on Dec. 15 at the Richland campus of Columbia Basin College, 891 Northgate Drive.
The department hopes interested parties will review the draft RFP and weigh in with questions and suggested changes by Jan. 8, 2018. The Energy Department will use that input in preparing a final proposal document. It is not seeking actual proposals yet. A date for a final RFP was not yet listed.
The Hanford Mission Essential Services Contract includes services ranging from security, land management, and information technology to management of the Hazardous Material Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) training facility. It also covers potential water, sewer, and other utility upgrades to support the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at Hanford.
“Leidos and MSA are aware of the Department of Energy’s draft RFP, and it is our intent to fully participate in the government’s current request for comment and feedback in accordance with their defined acquisition process,” said Leidos spokesperson Jennifer Moffett. She declined further comment.
“With this proposed contract, DOE plans to initiate and complete a number of infrastructure upgrades, support the critical startup of the high level Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, and maintain the Hanford Site infrastructure to support the next 50 years of operations and cleanup on the 580 square-mile Hanford Site,” DOE said in documents published with the draft RFP.
