The Energy Department’s Office of Environmental Management is altering provisions of its request for proposals (RFP) for security at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina in response to questions from potential bidders.
The tweaks involve decreasing small business subcontracting requirements for the winning vendor from 30% to 10%, as well as making it clear the transition to a new contractor will last 60 days.
The Energy Department agreed to make the changes in a question-and-answer exchange posted on its procurement website March 22.
The department on March 6 issued its solicitation for a potential 10-year, $1 billion contract for paramilitary security services. Bids are due April 22.
Centerra-SRS holds the current $990 million contract, which started in October 2009 and runs through Oct. 7. Parent firm Centerra Group has said it is interested in retaining the business.
Among the 31 questions and answers published last month, the department confirmed the transition to the new contractor would be 60 days. The original RFP cited both 60-day and a 90-day transitions. The agency will cut references to the longer transition.
Likewise, RFP language will be revised to make it clear the winning vendor has 10 days from receiving the “notice to proceed” to file its transition plan to the agency, which then has 15 days to approve it. A questioner had complained that the current text says “DOE has 45 days to approve the plan. This essentially means that the transition period will be complete before the plan is approved. Is this the intention?”
Another commenter took issue with an RFP provision that says “at least” 30% of the total estimated cost of the contract should be provided by small business subcontractors. Comparable paramilitary security contracts for DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) call for only 5% to 10% small business participation, the commenter said.
The Energy Department replied it will amend the RFP to reduce the percentage of subcontracted work requirement to 10.
The winning contractor will protect the safety and security of contractors, employees, and the general public at both NNSA and Office of Environmental Management facilities at SRS.
The Savannah River Site is comprised of about 310 square miles near Aiken. S.C. It has an estimated workforce of 11,700 between the government and contractors. The Energy Department held a site tour for prospective vendors March 26.
