NSF launches $8B Antarctica research recompete
Gettyimages.com / Jocelyn Michel
By
Ross Wilkers
The National Science Foundation has maintained its presence on the southern continent since 1959 and Leidos has held the current contract to work there since 2011.
The National Science Foundation has opened the window for industry to start working on and submitting bids in pursuit of a potential 20-year, $8 billion recompete contract for scientific research support services in Antarctica.
Proposals for the Antarctic Science and Engineering Support Contract are due to NSF by May 23, after which the agency will pick a single winner to work at research stations at the South Pole and two coastal locations in Antarctica.
The awardee will work with other partners involved in the U.S. Antarctic Program that also includes work aboard ships in the Southern Ocean, NSF said in the final solicitation posted Friday.
Leidos holds the current contract that NSF originally awarded in 2011 to Lockheed Martin. Five years later, Leidos merged with the Lockheed IS&GS services unit and inherited the contract.
NSF has obligated roughly $2.8 billion in task order volume to-date ahead of the scheduled Sept. 30 completion date, according to GovTribe data.
Two large companies have already publicized their plan to pursue the new contract in partnership with each other. In December, Parsons and V2X unveiled their Polar Science Alliance joint venture that touts at least five decades of collective experience in both of the world’s polar regions.
ASESC will task the awardee to help enable an interdisciplinary Antarctic research program involving NSF and the agency’s partners in USAP, as well as aid in other research efforts to grow knowledge of systems and processes that are unique to the South Polar region.
NSF has maintained the U.S.’ presence on Antarctica since 1959 through USAP.