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NASA is now seeking procurement ideas and solutions to encourage innovation from diverse perspectives, improve reach, reduce barriers and ultimately meet and exceed agency goals. The NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad (NAIL), managed by the agency’s Office of Procurement, is now online, and submissions of inquiries and ideas will be accepted on a rolling basis.
“This new framework is an exciting step forward as NASA streamlines its procurement activities, and we’re looking for responses from our workforce, as well as industry,” said NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy. “The launchpad is a safe space for anyone, including, but not limited to, contractors, engineers and program managers of any level, to field and test ideas in a collaborative and managed risk-taking environment to help us improve life for everyone on the planet.”
Whether individuals want to point out bottlenecks in the agency’s processes that slow down or block procurements, recommend tools that increase quality or speed, provide ideas to reduce the burden on industry or barriers to entry, or want to offer outside-the-box thinking to optimize activities within procurement work, NASA wants to hear about it.
The NAIL framework is designed to facilitate innovative acquisition techniques and smart program management tools. It provides avenues for managed risk-taking through the submission, review, prioritization, approval and measurement of agency testbed efforts submitted by innovation champions across the agency.
NASA spends approximately $21 billion (85 percent) of its budget on acquiring goods and services. The agency aims to use NAIL to further establish a bridge for industry input through public focus groups and industry feedback. Those interested in being a part of future NAIL focus groups should submit contact information to www.nasa.gov/office/procurement/nail-industry-interest.