The deadline to tender bids to run the Los Alamos National Laboratory came and went this week without any prospective offerors besides major universities identifying themselves.
Known to be in the hunt are the University of California, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M University. The publicly funded universities cannot hide their interest in the contract, because bidding requires public approval from their respective boards of regents.
The University of California — one of the lead partners on incumbent lab manager Los Alamos National Security — has managed the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) alone or in a team since the storied weapons lab was created in 1943.
The University of Texas — which only narrowly won approval from its Board of Regents to pursue a bid — has hitched its wagon to past bids to run Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, but has never led its own offer.
Texas A&M University was reported by one newspaper to be part of the University of California’s bid. The institution has not confirmed that report, or any other details about its pursuit of the contract.
The University of Texas and the University of California both issued statements this week confirming they had bid as planned. However, neither institution identified its partners.
The Department of Energy estimates the lab-management portion of the next Los Alamos prime contract will cost more than $20 billion. The deal includes a five-year base and five one-year options. The winning bidder could collect up to $50 million a year in lab-management fees over the life of the contract. Los Alamos National Security’s contract is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2018, and DOE is on track to announce an award in April or May. Bids were due Monday.
Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor has kept in touch with the members of the incumbent, and with other plausible bidders, to gauge the competitive landscape for the next LANL management pact. Below is a list of companies and institutions that have confirmed they are pursuing the contract, confirmed they are not, or refused to comment altogether. An asterisk (*) indicates the company or institution is one of the four major partners on Los Alamos National Security.
Confirmed interest:
- University of California* — Bidding, with an industry partner or partners.
- University of Texas — Bidding, with an industry partner or partners.
- Texas A&M University — Bidding, but teaming arrangements unknown. Rumored by one newspaper to be part of the University of California’s bid.
- BWX Technologies* — The company says it is interested in the contract, but will not comment about its teaming arrangement.
- University of New Mexico — Has confirmed its interest, though not commented about its teaming arrangements.
No comments:
- AECOM* — Officially a no comment, but a source says the Los Angeles-based company does not plan to bid or join a bid.
- Battelle
- Bechtel National*
- Boeing
- Jacobs
- Lockheed Martin
- Northrop Grumman
Confirmed nonparticipants:
- Honeywell — The parent company of the managers of the Nevada National Security Site and Kansas City National Security Complex says it plans to focus on its existing DOE portfolio.
