University of California regents were scheduled to hear an update today in Los Angeles about the institution’s bid to run the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory for the next 10 years.
One piece of news to watch for: whether the department’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has hosted the university and its bid partners for face-to-face procurement discussions.
The NNSA has said it planned to conduct the so-called orals in March, after it made the first cut in a competition that began in earnest on Dec. 11, the due date for bids on the $20-billion-plus management and operations contract for the New Mexico nuclear-weapon facility.
“As of March 1, the University’s team had not received the written feedback from NNSA nor any updates regarding the schedule for orals,” the office of University of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano told the Board of Regents in a notice posted online ahead of today’s meeting.
Napolitano’s office said it still expected the NNSA would award the contract in April or May: plenty of time to accommodate the four-month transition period written into the agency’s final request for proposals. Incumbent Los Alamos National Security will be off the job Sept. 30, under current plans.
The NNSA declined to discuss its schedule for orals, citing federal laws about procurement integrity. A spokesperson from the University of California did not immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday.
Besides UC, the University of Texas System has confirmed it is bidding on the contract and what is expected to be up to $50 million in annual fees. Texas A&M University has also confirmed it is seeking a role, though whether as a bid leader or teammate is not clear. Neither university has identified its bidding partners.
The University of California heads Los Alamos National Security, with senior industry partner Bechtel National and industry teammates AECOM and BWX Technologies.
Among the incumbents, BWXT has confirmed it wants a role on the next lab management team. Bechtel has declined to discuss whether it bid, though sources say the company has partnered with Purdue University of Indiana on a proposal. A source said AECOM is not bidding on the follow-on deal.