LANL PICKS THREE COMPANIES FOR QA TECHNICAL SERVICES CONTRACT

Los Alamos National Laboratory has selected three companies for its long-awaited Quality Assurance Technical Services contract, NW&M Monitor has learned, picking teams led by North Wind, Vector and Technology Management Consulting Resources for the support work at the lab. A Los Alamos National Laboratory spokesman declined to reveal the names of the companies selected for the award. Bids went in on the contract went in early last year, and the procurement was somewhat controversial, as lab officials chose to use a reverse auction as part of the bidding process. Industry officials questioned that approach, suggesting that it wasn’t appropriate for the highly technical contract, but lab officials and officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Supply Chain Management Center defended the approach, noting that bidders had to clear a technical acceptability hurdle before the lab began to solicit real-time, competitive bids for a labor rate discount that would be applied to a potential bidder’s proposal. The contract was expected to be worth as much $60 million over five years.