NASA backs off SEWP V awards

Faced with 17 bid protests, NASA decided this week to pull back its SEWP V awards and re-evaluate bids.

The agency had made 97 awards to 73 companies across three categories of the $20 billion SEWP V contract for hardware, software and related services.

The awards were made in two batches on Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 and were quickly followed by the bid protests.

But given that NASA received 233 proposals and made awards to 73 companies, I would have expected even more protests. In fact, with just 17 filings with the Government Accountability Office, I would have thought that NASA was in strong position to defend its awards. Plus, SEWP has such a good reputation as a well-run procurement.

Instead, the agency has pulled back the awards, will re-evaluate proposals and make new source selection decisions. Click here for information on who the protesters were.

I’ve reached out to NASA for comment and a new timetable for awards, but no response yet.

Originally, NASA wanted SEWP up and running by Nov. 1. The protests knocked out that start date to at least February. Re-evaluating bids will push the start date back into the spring. Plus, there is still the threat of more protests when NASA announces new awards.

NASA has already extended SEWP IV a couple times. The most recent extension pushed the end of the contract to the end of April.

Click here for a spreadsheet of the 73 companies who won SEWP V.