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NASA Relaunches Acquisition Innovation Launchpad to Enhance Procurement Processes

NASA is set to relaunch the NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad (NAIL), a strategic initiative aimed at fostering innovation and modernizing the acquisition processes across the agency. This reintroduction comes after a successful pilot year that tested the program’s framework.

With a budget allocation of around $21 billion, which constitutes approximately 85% of its overall financial resources, NASA’s acquisition of goods and services is a significant component of its operational strategy. The initiative, overseen by NASA’s Office of Procurement, aims to cultivate an environment where innovative ideas can flourish, encouraging risk management and creativity within the acquisition process. Anyone involved in procurement can propose ideas, contributing to a culture of collaboration and improvement.

“The first year of NAIL has established a solid groundwork for what lies ahead,” stated Karla Smith Jackson, the deputy chief acquisition officer and assistant administrator for the Office of Procurement. This program’s launch has been instrumental in shaping a more innovation-driven culture within the agency.

Throughout its inaugural year, NAIL has made substantial progress, addressing various challenges in procurement and implementing a variety of solutions. Notable successes include enhancements to procurement methodologies and technological automation, as well as the creation of a forum for industry feedback. The forthcoming updates will build on this feedback to further drive innovative approaches and streamline NASA’s procurement strategies.

As NAIL prepares for fiscal year 2025, the relaunch will focus on several key priorities, informed by the insights gained during the pilot phase:

• Offering increased engagement opportunities for NASA’s network of innovators.
• Refining the framework to achieve better internal outcomes.
• Highlighting successful procurement initiatives.
• Investing in both talent development and technological advancements.

“We are immensely proud of what the program has accomplished so far and are eager for what the relaunch will bring,” remarked Kameke Mitchell, NAIL chair and director for the Procurement Strategic Operations Division. “We invite all stakeholders to take part and make fiscal year 2025 a remarkable year for innovation.”

Brittney Chappell, NAIL’s program manager, will spearhead new initiatives and improvements in the program moving forward. “I am excited to take on this role and build upon the knowledge we’ve gathered over the past year,” Chappell noted. “Collaborating with internal teams and external partners, we aim to transform ambitious concepts into meaningful solutions that drive significant change.”

For those interested in sharing innovative ideas or exploring collaboration opportunities, the NAIL Procurement team can be contacted at hq-op-nail@mail.nasa.gov.

To learn more about the NAIL framework and its objectives, please visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/procurement-nail-framework

Source
www.nasa.gov