WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the process to compete the management and operating contract for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, CA for the first time since LLNL’s creation on September 2, 1952. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within DOE, announced that parties interested in competing for the contract should submit an Expression Of Interest (EOI) that describes their capabilities.

The NNSA is preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP), including the draft contract terms and conditions, that is tentatively scheduled for release by the summer of 2006.

A website, http://www.doeal.gov/llnlCompetition, has been established for the dissemination of all information related to the competition. The website will identify when the EOI is due to the NNSA’s Service Center in Albuquerque, NM. A subscription feature is included on the website, which enables interested parties to receive a notice whenever the website is updated. The website will be the principal distribution medium for notices, changes, questions and answers, and the forthcoming RFP.

The RFP release date will be announced through the website. Any amendments to the RFP or other pertinent information relating to the acquisition will also be available on the website. Additionally, NNSA will share draft sections of the RFP for public comment as they become available in order to streamline the procurement process and initiate industry comments and recommendations.

LLNL is currently operated by the Regents of the University of California. LLNL is one of the premier applied science research and development institutions in the world. It is responsible for ensuring that the nation’s nuclear weapons remain safe, secure, and reliable through the application of advances in science and technology. LLNL also applies its expertise and special multidisciplinary capabilities to meet important national needs in basic science, advanced defense technologies, nonproliferation, homeland security, energy, environment, biosciences and biotechnology.

LLNL has approximately 8,500 employees. About a third of the lab’s technical staff members are scientists, engineers and technicians. Its current annual budget is approximately $1.6 billion.

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Media contact(s):
Al Stotts (505) 845-6094