The National Nuclear Security Administration on Wednesday released the request for proposals for the Sandia National Laboratories management and operations contract.
The current contract is held by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sandia Corp. and expires on April 30, 2017. It covers Sandia campuses in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., along with smaller operations in Hawaii, Nevada, and Texas. In total the sites employ about 10,000 workers and have a yearly operating roughly of about $2.9 billion.
Sandia Corp. has generally earned strong marks for its management of the lab, but it took a hit when the Department of Justice found that it had illegally used federal funds to lobby for an extension of its M&O contract. The contractor last year agreed to pay more than $4.7 million to settle the case.
Other major players in the Department of Energy complex have not yet publicly said whether they will pursue the new contract.
The cost-plus-fixed fee contract would feature a four-month transition followed by a five-year base period and up to five one-year extensions. All fixed and award fees are yet to be determined, according to the RFP.
Bidders will be judged on several criteria, including documented relevant performance over the last five years; a “coherent” management organizational structure and qualified personnel; plans for small business participation as subcontractors, including women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and other segments; and a reasonable and realistic management cost.
“The principal mission of SNL is to be the Nation’s premier science and engineering laboratories for national security and technology innovation related to nuclear weapons; defense systems and assessments; energy and climate; and international, homeland and nuclear security,” the press release says. “The contractor will be required to provide the intellectual leadership and management expertise necessary and appropriate to manage, operate, and staff the laboratories and to accomplish the missions assigned by NNSA.”
Responses to the RFP are due by 4 p.m. EST on July 13, 2016. The document can be found at www.fedconnect.net.
