GAO tells NSF to re-evaluate $8B Antarctica award
Gettyimages.com/ Nick Shillan
By
Nick Wakeman
The National Science Foundation did not consider the impact of KBR’s spinning off the business that will manage the massive Antarctica research contract, the Government Accountability Office found.
National Science Foundation is going to re-evaluate proposals for its $8 billion Antarctic research support contract.
KBR won the 20-year contract in June and Battelle followed with a protest that argued that NSF did not fully consider KBR’s plan to spin off the business into a new company to be called Trinzic. The new company is expected to launch in January.
Battelle claims NSF's evaluation of the KBR bid apparently did not weigh the impact of the spinoff on the company’s ability to manage the massive contract. Battelle is also arguing NSF made errors in its evaluations of proposals.
The Government Accountability Office apparently agreed enough with Battelle to order the NSF to re-evaluate proposals. GAO made its decision Sept. 10 but the public version of the decision isn’t available yet.
Battelle was one of three companies that competed with KBR for the contract, known as the Antarctic Science and Engineering Support Contract.
The winner will operate three year-round research stations, two research vessels and other facilities. NSF also uses the contract to ensure the health, safety and security of researchers, workers and visitors to Antarctica.