Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
6/6/2014
In a move that has raised some eyebrows, the Department of Energy is competing a new contract for technical management and administrative services at the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management on a full-and-open basis, rather than keeping the work set aside for small businesses. The work is currently being performed by Navarro Research and Engineering. An industry official noted this week: “This is a contract that has been traditionally used to develop medium-sized small businesses to the next level. It’s a good growth contract. It’s a great contract for past performance that allows you to go on to other work. The impact is that there is an opportunity lost for a small business to grow and develop.”
DOE’s Oak Ridge Office said it did not receive adequate response to a sources sought notice to set it aside. “We are required to set aside any acquisition over $150,000 for small business participation when there is reasonable expectation that offers will be obtained from at least two responsible small businesses,” DOE-OR spokesman Mike Koentop said in a written response. “We issued a sources sought notice in November 2013, and based on the responses, only one small business was determined to be capable. As a result, the decision was made to seek full and open competition. This does not preclude small businesses from submitting a proposal.”
The contract would cover oversight of the nuclear safety basis, waste management, quality assurance, environmental health and safety and assistance with communications. Activities include “technical analyses, document preparation and review, conduct of oversight activities, corrective action management, information management, technical editing, training, logistical coordination, performance analyses, records maintenance, and general and cross-cutting support to OREM,” according to the DOE solicitation. Quotes for the project are due by June 27.
