Department of Energy Issues Final Request for Proposals for E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Contractor
The Department of Energy (DOE) released a final Request for Proposals (RFP) today for the competitive selection of a management and operating (M&O) contractor for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), a major DOE Office of Science research facility located in Berkeley, Calif.
A draft RFP was issued Oct. 15, 2004, for public comment and a Comment Workshop was held in the Berkeley, Calif. area. The final RFP, which reflects minor changes from the draft as a result of comments received, includes provisions to facilitate competition, encourage superior science, and achieve excellent management performance.
The RFP describes the criteria DOE will use in selecting a successful future contractor. Evaluation criteria include the potential contractor’s management approach to research and development and attracting and retaining world-class scientific personnel, as well as achieving excellence in operations and business management; key personnel, including the proposed laboratory director; experience and past performance in both science and business management; and a strategy for fulfilling DOE’s objectives for the laboratory.
The RFP is publicly available at the Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) on the DOE e-Commerce web site: http://e-center.doe.gov . In addition, an information library regarding the solicitation is available on the DOE Office of Science web site at http://RFPLBNL.sc.doe.gov . Questions on the RFP should be submitted to the “Submit Questions” feature on IIPS by Jan. 5, 2005. Responses to questions and other information about the RFP will also be posted to this site.
Proposals will be due by Feb. 9, 2005, and will be reviewed by a Source Evaluation Board of DOE technical and business experts. DOE will conduct a Pre-proposal Conference on Jan. 12, 2005, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Edward R. Roybal Auditorium, Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA, 94612. A LBNL site tour may be held in conjunction with the Pre-proposal Conference if sufficient interest is expressed.
The current contract with the University of California expires on Jan. 31, 2005. An extension of the current agreement past that date will be required to complete the selection process and execute a new contract.
LBNL is a multi-program laboratory, funded at approximately $469 million annually by the Office of Science, other DOE programs, and other government agencies and private industry. The University of California has operated the laboratory since 1943 for DOE and its predecessors. The laboratory’s missions include basic science and technology development, with no classified programs or facilities. Areas of research include the physical sciences, computing sciences, energy sciences, biosciences, and other areas.
LBNL’s unique research facilities, which attract scientists from all over the world, include the Advanced Light Source, Biomedical Isotope Facility, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center and the National Center for Electron Microscopy. The Molecular Foundry, a national nanoscience research center, is currently under construction and is expected to go into full operation in 2006.
