The Energy Department on Thursday issued the final request for proposals for the 222-S Laboratory Contract at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
The RFP was posted on the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center website for the procurement. Questions on the solicitation are due before noon Eastern time on Feb. 28 and should be emailed to [email protected]. The DOE contract officer for the RFP is William Hensley.
The Energy Department issued a draft RFP in July 2018 for a contract potentially worth more than $900 million over seven years for a single vendor to run the lab.
The current business is split between two contractors.
The former Wastren Advantage, which has been merged into Veolia Nuclear Solutions, manages laboratory analysis and testing services under a five-year, $50 million contract set to expire in September 2020. The testing supports tank closure requirements and waste transfers between tanks.
AECOM-led Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) provides maintenance, support services, and other work for 222-S under its $7.1 billion radioactive waste tank management contract at Hanford, which has been extended through September 2019.
During an October conference in Knoxville, Tenn., Energy Department officials said the agency decided operations at 222-S might go smoother without having dual contractors occasionally getting in each other’s way.
The base and option periods for the contract have been tweaked between the draft and final RFP, according to the cover letter for the procurement. The base period has been increased from three years to five years, while the two option periods have been reduced from two years to one year each.
There will be a transition period of 100 calendar days built into the five-year base period.
In choosing a contractor, DOE will consider technical approach to be more important than key personnel and organization; but the key people and organization will be more important than past performance. The bidders cost proposals will be evaluated “for realism,” the agency said.
