The Department of Energy yesterday released for industry comment the draft Request for Task Proposal for the new Paducah deactivation contract. The draft RTP envisions a three-year cost-plus-award-fee contract with firm-fixed price elements. Work to be performed under the contract will include facility deactivation, surveillance and maintenance and utility operations; deactivation, decontamination and demolition; the construction of an on-site disposal waste facility; and post-Gaseous Diffusion Plant shutdown cleanup activities.
Bids will be evaluated based on two technical criteria—technical approach and key personnel and organization, which are equal, according to the draft RTP. “in determining the best value to the Government, Technical Evaluation Criteria when combined, are significantly more important than price. The Government is more concerned with obtaining a superior technical proposal than making an award at the lowest evaluated price,” the draft RTP says. However, the Government will not make an award at a price premium that it considers disproportionate to the benefits associated with the evaluated superiority of one proposal over another. Thus, the closer or more similar in merit the Contractors’ technical proposals are evaluated to be, the more likely the evaluated price may be the determining factor in selection for award.” DOE is taking comments on the draft until June 7.