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DEAR

Part Number: 970

Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation

970.1504-1-9 Special considerations: Cost-plus-award-fee.

(a) When a management and operating contract is to be awarded on a cost-plus-award-fee basis, several special considerations are appropriate.

(b) All annual performance incentives identified under these contracts are funded from the annual total available fee, which consists of a base fee amount (which may be zero) and a performance fee amount (which typically will consist of an incentive fee component for objective performance requirements, an award fee component for subjective performance requirements, or both).

(c) The annual total available fee for the contract shall equal the product of the fee(s) that would have been calculated for an annual fixed fee contract and the classification factor(s) most appropriate for the facility/task. If more than one fee schedule is applicable to the contract, the annual total available fee shall be the sum of the available fees derived proportionately from each fee schedule; consideration of significant factors applicable to each fee schedule; and application of a Classification Factor(s) most appropriate for the work.

(d) Classification Factors applied to each Facility/Task Category are:

Facility/task category Classification factor
A 3.0
B 2.5
C 2.0
D 1.25

(e) The contracting officer shall select the Facility/Task Category after considering the following:

(1) Facility/Task Category A. The main focus of effort performed is related to -

(i) The manufacture, assembly, retrieval, disassembly, or disposal of nuclear weapons with explosive potential;

(ii) The physical cleanup, processing, handling, or storage of nuclear radioactive or toxic chemicals with consideration given to the degree the nature of the work advances state of the art technologies in cleanup, processing or storage operations and/or the inherent difficulty or risk of the work is significantly demanding when compared to similar industrial/DOE settings (i.e., nuclear energy processing, industrial environmental cleanup);

(iii) Construction of facilities such as nuclear reactors, atomic particle accelerators, or complex laboratories or industrial units especially designed for handling radioactive materials;

(iv) Research and development directly supporting paragraphs (e)(1)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this subsection and not conducted in a laboratory, or

(v) As designated by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee. (Classification factor 3.0)

(2) Facility/Task Category B. The main focus of effort performed is related to -

(i) The safeguarding and maintenance of nuclear weapons or nuclear material;

(ii) The manufacture or assembly of nuclear components;

(iii) The physical cleanup, processing, handling, or storage of nuclear radioactive or toxic chemicals, or other substances which pose a significant threat to the environment or the health and safety of workers or the public, if the nature of the work uses state of the art technologies or applications in such operations and/or the inherent difficulty or risk of the work is more demanding than that found in similar industrial/DOE settings (i.e., nuclear energy, chemical or petroleum processing, industrial environmental cleanup);

(iv) The detailed planning necessary for the assembly/disassembly of nuclear weapons/components;

(v) Construction of facilities involving operations requiring a high degree of design layout or process control;

(vi) Research and development directly supporting paragraphs (e)(2)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) of this subsection and not conducted in a laboratory; or

(vii) As designated by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee. (Classification factor 2.5)

(3) Facility/Task Category C. The main focus of effort performed is related to -

(i) The physical cleanup, processing, or storage of nuclear radioactive or toxic chemicals if the nature of the work uses routine technologies in cleanup, processing or storage operations and/or the inherent difficulty or risk of the work is similar to that found in similar industrial/DOE settings (i.e., nuclear energy, chemical processing, industrial environmental cleanup);

(ii) Plant and facility maintenance;

(iii) Plant and facility security (other than the safeguarding of nuclear weapons and material);

(iv) Construction of facilities involving operations requiring normal processes and operations; general or administrative service buildings; or routine infrastructure requirements;

(v) Research and development directly supporting paragraphs (e)(3)(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this subsection and not conducted in a laboratory; or

(vi) As designated by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee. (Classification factor 2.0)

(4) Facility/Task Category D. The main focus of the effort performed is research and development conducted at a laboratory. (Classification factor 1.25)

(f) Where the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee, has approved a base fee, the Classification Factors shall be reduced, as approved by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee.

(g) Any risks which are indemnified by the Government (for example, by the Price-Anderson Act) will not be considered as risk to the contractor.

(h) All management and operating contracts awarded on a cost-plus-award-fee basis shall set forth in the contract, or the Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) required by the contract clause at 970.5215-1, Total Available Fee: Base Fee Amount and Performance Fee Amount, a site specific method of rating the contractor's performance of the contract requirements and a method of fee determination tied to the method of rating.

(i) Prior approval of the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee, is required for an annual total available fee amount exceeding the guidelines in paragraph (c) of this subsection.

(j) DOE Operations/Field Office Managers must ensure that all important areas of contract performance are specified in the contract or Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s), even if such areas are not assigned specific weights or percentages of available fee.