NASA gave Wackenhut Services Inc. a $1.2 billion contract to provide security services at NASA installations, after Wackenhut successfully sued the space agency when it earlier had awarded the contract to a rival firm, Coastal International Security.

Further, the space agency could opt to increase the value of the contract by up to 20 percent, or an additional $240,000.

The Court of Federal Claims had found that a NASA panel didn’t demonstrate fully why it ranked the Coastal bid higher than the Wackenhut proposal.

Over several years, Wackenhut has been involved in controversies, including complaints by labor unions that attempted to organize Wackenhut employees.

Under the contract, Wackenhut will provide NASA with fire services, security services, emergency management, export control, protective services training, and protective services information assurance and information technology security.

The contract is a performance-based, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract enabling protective services to be provided to all NASA installations under a single agency-wide contract. This consolidated approach will promote coordinated and efficient operations throughout NASA, according to the agerncy.

It is anticipated that 14 firm-fixed priced task orders will be issued under the contract. Each task order will authorize work to be performed at NASA locations throughout the United States. The basic period of performance will be for five years. The contract will contain five one-year option periods. The contract also contains an option to increase the maximum value by 20 percent, if needed.

The major subcontractor for the contract is Chenga Security and Protective Services of Ashburn, Va.

NASA noted that it gave the contract to Wackenhut after the court ordered "corrective action."

"This selection is pursuant to re-evaluation of the proposals and a new selection decision ordered by the U.S Court of Federal Claims directing NASA to take corrective action relative to its initial source selection decision," NASA observed. "Pursuant to the court order, NASA appointed a reconstructed source evaluation board, appointed a new source selection official, issued reconsidered findings, and made a new selection decision."