DOE Seeks Information on JLab Contractor Bidding Competition

The Department of Energy has issued a request for information on potential barriers to the competition it plans to select a contractor to manage and operate the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, dubbed the Jefferson Lab or JLab, in Newport News, Virginia.

According to a post on SAM .gov, the RFI will help the DOE develop a contractor service acquisition strategy and pinpoint appropriate requests for proposals. The RFI’s submission deadline is on March 6, the Energy Department said Tuesday.

A website is now online to provide information about the JLab management and operating contract competition, the department added. It expects the competition to draw innovative approaches to JLab’s operations and for the successful offeror to take over the laboratory by June 1, 2025. 

Established in 1984 to focus on nuclear physics research, the federally funded JLab is one of the department’s 17 national laboratories. The laboratory’s core capabilities also include the production of superconducting radiofrequency accelerator modules.

In October 2023, the Energy Department tasked JLab to lead the development of a data-intensive science center and host its infrastructure.