NNSA REITERATES PLAN FOR SANDIA COMPETITION IN JUSTIFICATION FOR EXTENSION

The National Nuclear Security Administration has released the justification for extending Lockheed Martin’s contract to run Sandia National Laboratories, and the document makes it clear that the agency is planning to eventually compete the lab contract. Late last month, the agency completed a two-year extension (with a one-year option) for Lockheed Martin’s Sandia Corporation, pushing the lab contract through April of 2016. In the Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition, the NNSA reiterated comments previously made by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz that the extension would provide time for the agency to react to several governance studies currently underway. “These independent studies on governance of the nuclear security enterprise and the DOE laboratory system are anticipated to be completed within the next 12-18 months,” the NNSA said. “Consequently, the Department of Energy senior leadership has concluded that the Department needs a period of time in order to benefit from the resulting recommendations and to evaluate improvements in the effectiveness, efficiency and the way in which DOE manages all its FFRDCs.”