KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The National Nuclear Security Administration expects to release a draft request for quotations (RFQ) for its Technical and Engineering Program Support 4 contract, or TEST 4, in January 2027, with the agency targeting contract performance beginning later that year.
B.J. Quigley, NNSA’s senior procurement executive, said at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association’s (ETEBA) annual conference Wednesday the agency is conducting market research through December as it develops the acquisition strategy for recompeting a TEST 4 contract. Quigley did not give any details on the contract.
NNSA is targeting an RFQ release between June and September 2027, with performance expected to begin Nov. 1, 2027, Quigley said during an industry panel.
The agency is seeking a more efficient and competitive approach to acquiring technical and engineering capabilities and views the contract as an opportunity to implement recent acquisition reforms, according to Quigley. NNSA is still considering how best to structure the procurement and is open to alternatives from industry, Quigley said in response to a question about whether the TEST 4 contract will proceed.
The TEST 4 procurement comes as NNSA seeks to accelerate its acquisition processes and make greater use of commercial approaches. Quigley said speed is increasingly viewed by the agency as a national-security issue, rather than simply an efficiency measure.
The agency is also examining alternative contracting mechanisms, including other transaction authorities and additional acquisition vehicles, as it seeks to give contracting officers more flexibility to select the approach best suited to individual requirements.
