The Department of Energy says it will be up to the winner of the Carlsbad Technical Assistance Contract to train its own employees and the cost will be borne by the new contractor.
That is one of the takeaways from a package of questions and answers published Wednesday by DOE on the potential $100-million small business set-aside contract to assist the Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico with audits and other technical services for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
The DOE said it does not consider training a “direct cost” that would merit reimbursement.
North Wind Portage is the incumbent contractor under a $44-billion agreement that started in November 2015.
The DOE Office of Environmental Management also said it will be up to the new provider to determine how many staff positions it needs. The incumbent has roughly 65 to 70 full-time staffers. There is scope in this request for proposals that is new as compared to the existing contract. “Therefore, it is anticipated that the number of staff will increase to accommodate the new scope,” DOE said in its reply.
Bids on the new contract are due Dec. 14.
