Others to Watch
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Competition
Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration
- Estimated value: $13.1 billion
- Phase: Proposals were due Oct. 2
- Expected award date: February 2007
This California Cold War-era lab is set to change management hands for the first time since its inception in 1952. In late 2003, Congress ordered all national labs to open their management contracts for bid as they expire. As with the bidding for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico in 2005, incumbent manager University of California is teaming with a consortium of private sector companies-this time including Bechtel Corp. and Battelle Memorial Institute. Smart money is on the university-led consortium, especially after the University of California group captured Los Alamos despite its less-than-stellar record there. One sure change from the past: Consortia bidders expect to make money even with UC on board. A dark horse vying for the Lawrence Livermore contracts: Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment), a Livermore, Calif., group.
IRS Competitive Sourcing for Seat Management Services
Internal Revenue Service
- Estimated value: $1 billion
- Phase: Expected Oct. 18 release of draft request for proposals canceled on Sept. 28 without explanation
- Expected award date: Unknown
Ask the Internal Revenue Service chief information officer what's going on with the agency's most widely anticipated competitive sourcing solicitation, and here's the answer: "It's under consideration. That's all I can say right now. We've not made a final decision." That was recently appointed CIO Richard Spires, speaking staccato before an industry audience on Oct. 24. The tax agency had planned to release a draft competitive sourcing solicitation on Oct. 18, but a Sept. 28 notice on its Web site informed interested parties of its cancellation without giving further information. National Treasury Employees Union officials say the IRS tells them the competitive sourcing study is still on track, however. The tax agency currently employs more than 2,000 people in its seat management function.