The National Nuclear Security Administration has released a draft request for proposals for the next management and operations contract for its Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
The semiautonomous Department of Energy agency is inviting prospective bidders to submit questions and other feedback on the document by 11 a.m. EDT on July 26, to [email protected]. Responses should be limited to three pages.
The nuclear-weapon laboratory is managed through Sept. 30, 2018, by Los Alamos National Security (LANS), a partnership of Bechtel National, BWX Technologies, the University of California, and AECOM. The deal is worth roughly $2 billion annually, along with performance-based award fees.
None of the current management team has yet confirmed plans to vie for the new contract, either together or in other configurations. The University of California, which prior to LANS was the sole prime contractor at the lab, said in a statement Wednesday it would review the draft RFP, and the final document due in September, “to determine how best to proceed in the interests of the University and Los Alamos National Laboratory.”
The draft solicitation indicates the contract would encompass a five-year base period followed by up to five option years. While Los Alamos is a multipurpose research facility, much of scope of work would likely focus on its national security missions, including: research and development to ensure safe nuclear explosive operations; assuring the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nucleare deterrent; and supporting deterrence, detection, and response to WMD proliferation.
Proposals will be judged on cost and three technical and management criteria: relevant performance over the preceding five years; key personnel with know-how and experience in overseeing operations of a similar size, scope, and complexity, and in leading organizational culture change; and small business participation.
The first two technical and management criteria are given equal weight, and together are “significantly more important” than small business participation, according to the draft document.
In cases where separate bidders offer similar technical and management resources, “the evaluated cost/price is more likely to be a determining factor,” the NNSA said.
