The Energy Department on Tuesday issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a new small business set-aside contract to provide support services at the Paducah Site in Kentucky.
Incumbent Swift & Staley’s five-year, $185 million contract expires in September. The DOE Office of Environmental Management said last month it could soon issue a solicitation for a new agreement.
The Cincinnati-based Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center said in a press release that an industry day to discuss the contract with potential vendors is scheduled for Tuesday at Paducah.
Questions about the solicitation should be emailed by 4 p.m. ET on Feb. 18 to either DOE Contracting Officer Travis Taggart at [email protected] or to [email protected].
Bids are due to the Energy Department by March 19, according to the cover letter for the procurement.
The winning vendor will be responsible for a wide array of infrastructure support services at Paducah, a former gaseous diffusion plant that for decades enriched uranium to support the U.S. military defense program and then commercial nuclear power generation. The facility is now being remediated by Jacobs-led Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership under a potential 10-year, $1.48 billion contract that began in June 2017.
The infrastructure work includes upkeep of facilities and roads, property management, janitorial services, and upkeep of the site’s vehicle fleet. On Jan. 24, DOE posted dozens of documents on the procurement website, providing information about current tasks being done by Paducah-based Swift & Staley. The documents include the incumbent’s latest reports on activities such as moving, snow removal, and records management.
A copy of Swift & Staley’s contract with the United Steelworkers Local 550 is also included in RFP documents. The labor contract was enacted in February 2018 and extends through September.
The statement of work calls for a 60-day transition period. The vendor will provide safeguards and security and 24-hour emergency management services.
The Energy Department anticipates the contract running from this October through Sept. 30, 2025, according to solicitation material. The selection will be made based upon technical approach, key personnel, past performance, and price.
There was no immediate word on if Swift & Staley plans to bid on the new contract.
The contractor will be required to submit its formal radiation protection program to DOE within 40 days of receiving the notice to proceed.
The entire Paducah Site stretches across 3,500 acres near the Ohio River in western Kentucky. About 750 acres are located inside the security fence.