NASA to Compete Contract for Jet Propulsion Laboratory Management
NASA announced Friday that it intends to win the next contract to manage and operate the federally funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) in Southern California at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to ensure continued accountability and strong value for U.S. taxpayers.
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has managed the laboratory since its inception in the 1930s, and previous NASA contracts for its management and operations have been sole-sourced to the university since the facility was transferred from the U.S. Army to NASA in 1958.
The rapid growth of the U.S. space economy indicates that there may now be a viable competitive market for the programmatic and institutional elements of FFRDC operations.
Conducting a competition for this contract allows NASA to evaluate the potential benefits of alternative management approaches to FFRDC, including opportunities to improve mission performance, innovation, and overall cost and operational effectiveness, consistent with federal competition requirements.
The move is part of a broader government- and agency-wide effort to find efficiencies, strengthen performance and achieve mission results more quickly and at lower cost.
“The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has achieved some of the most extraordinary scientific and engineering achievements in NASA history,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As the U.S. space economy evolves, we have a responsibility to the American people and the scientific community to evaluate how we can execute faster, operate more efficiently, and continue to deliver world-class science and engineering at the highest level. The decision to compete for this contract reflects NASA’s commitment to rigorous stewardship of taxpayer resources and positions Jet Propulsion Laboratory to continue to drive world-changing scientific discoveries and technological innovations for decades to come.”
The work conducted at JPL remains critically important to the agency, and NASA is committed to maintaining the continuity of active and future missions throughout the procurement process. NASA is also committed to maintaining the existing physical location of FFRDC.
This approach is consistent with broader government practices, including the Department of Energy, which has held full and open tenders for five of its 16 FFRDC management and operation contracts over the past 10 years.
The current contract with Caltech began on October 1, 2018 and will continue until September 30, 2028, with a maximum potential value of $30 billion, if all options are exercised. NASA has initiated the procurement process to compete for the contract. The start of this process now provides the agency with sufficient time to conduct a full competition and award cycle while maintaining continuity of ongoing missions and laboratory operations.
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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George Alderman / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
