NASA's $46.3M ADV ENVIRO MONITORING Contract Awarded to Caltech, Lacking Competition
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $46,293,339 ($46.3M)
Contractor: California Institute of Technology
Awarding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Start Date: 2005-06-09
End Date: 2012-09-30
Contract Duration: 2,670 days
Daily Burn Rate: $17.3K/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED
Number of Offers Received: 51
Pricing Type: COST PLUS AWARD FEE
Sector: R&D
Official Description: ADV ENVIRO MONITORING
Place of Performance
Location: PASADENA, LOS ANGELES County, CALIFORNIA, 91125
Plain-Language Summary
National Aeronautics and Space Administration obligated $46.3 million to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY for work described as: ADV ENVIRO MONITORING Key points: 1. Significant spending on R&D for environmental monitoring. 2. Sole source award to a research institution suggests specialized expertise. 3. Long contract duration (2005-2012) indicates a sustained need. 4. High value for a single awardee warrants scrutiny of price reasonableness.
Value Assessment
Rating: questionable
The contract type is Cost Plus Award Fee, which can lead to higher costs if not managed carefully. Without competitive bidding, it's difficult to benchmark pricing against similar services.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: sole-source
This contract was not competed, indicating a sole-source award. This limits price discovery and potentially increases costs for taxpayers as there was no market pressure to offer the best price.
Taxpayer Impact: The lack of competition may have resulted in higher costs than a competitively awarded contract, impacting taxpayer value.
Public Impact
Advanced environmental monitoring capabilities developed. Potential for groundbreaking research findings in physical, engineering, and life sciences. Long-term project may have yielded significant data for NASA's missions.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Lack of competition
- Cost-plus contract type
- Long contract duration
Positive Signals
- Awarded to a reputable research institution
- Addresses critical R&D needs
Sector Analysis
This contract falls under Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. Spending in this sector often involves high upfront costs and specialized expertise, making competition challenging but not always impossible.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates no small business participation in this contract. Further analysis would be needed to determine if opportunities were missed or if the nature of the work precluded small business involvement.
Oversight & Accountability
The sole-source nature of this award suggests limited oversight on price competition. NASA's internal oversight mechanisms would be crucial to ensure cost efficiency and effective performance.
Related Government Programs
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Contracting
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Programs
Risk Flags
- Potential for overpayment due to lack of competition.
- Risk of cost overruns with Cost Plus Award Fee structure.
- Limited transparency on specific deliverables and outcomes.
- No small business participation.
Tags
research-and-development-in-the-physical, national-aeronautics-and-space-administr, ca, delivery-order, 10m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded $46.3 million to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. ADV ENVIRO MONITORING
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $46.3 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2005-06-09. End: 2012-09-30.
What specific environmental monitoring advancements were achieved through this significant investment?
This contract likely funded the development and deployment of advanced sensor technologies and data analysis techniques for environmental monitoring. The specific advancements would be detailed in NASA's project reports, potentially leading to improved climate modeling, Earth observation capabilities, or understanding of planetary environments.
What were the justifications for awarding this contract on a sole-source basis?
Sole-source awards are typically justified when only one responsible source is available or capable of meeting the agency's needs. For Caltech, this could be due to unique intellectual property, specialized facilities, or a long-standing, highly successful research relationship with NASA in this specific domain.
How effectively was the Cost Plus Award Fee structure managed to control costs?
Effective management of a Cost Plus Award Fee contract relies on clear performance metrics and rigorous oversight. NASA would have needed to establish objective award criteria and closely monitor Caltech's spending and progress to ensure that the 'award fee' component incentivized desired outcomes without excessive cost overruns.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Scientific Research and Development Services › Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
Product/Service Code: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Space R&D Services
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED
Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE
Offers Received: 51
Pricing Type: COST PLUS AWARD FEE (R)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 4800 OAK GROVE DR, PASADENA, CA, 91109
Business Categories: Category Business, Government, U.S. National Government, Not Designated a Small Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $47,268,800
Exercised Options: $47,268,800
Current Obligation: $46,293,339
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL ITEM PROCEDURES NOT USED
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: NAS703001
IDV Type: IDC
Timeline
Start Date: 2005-06-09
Current End Date: 2012-09-30
Potential End Date: 2012-09-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2021-02-17
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