NAIL: A NASA Launch? It's Not What You Think
NASA spends around US$21bn annually, about 85% of its budget, on goods and services.
Managed by the Office of Procurement, the NAIL framework aims to find new ways to manage risk and foster innovation by encouraging anyone involved in NASA’s procurement process to submit, review and approve fresh ideas.
The NAIL pilot programme, launched last year, has proven to be a foundation for forward-thinking procurement.
It allows NASA’s procurement team and industry partners to collaborate on new ideas to overcome procurement challenges.
"The success of the NAIL inaugural year has laid a strong foundation for the future," comments Karla Smith Jackson, the Office of Procurement's Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer.
In its first year, NAIL achieved significant process improvements, the development of technological tools to streamline procurement and the creation of an industry feedback forum.
These advancements have helped NASA better understand procurement hurdles and develop solutions through partnerships with external stakeholders.
Key achievements include optimising the agency’s procurement process through better automation and encouraging two-way communication with industry experts.
By sharing lessons learned and refining its approach, NASA continues to improve how it procures goods and services in a way that encourages innovation while mitigating risks.
Focus areas for 2025
With the relaunch of NAIL in fiscal year 2025, NASA plans to use insights from the pilot programme to drive even greater success.
- Expanding engagement opportunities for innovators within NASA.
- Enhancing the programme to produce better results for the agency’s internal operations.
- Promoting success stories that demonstrate the value of procurement innovations.
- Fostering talent and technology to lead the charge in procurement improvements.
These priorities reflect NASA’s ongoing commitment to encouraging innovation at every level of the organisation.
Kameke Mitchell, NAIL Chair and Director of NASA’s Procurement Strategic Operations Division, states: “We are incredibly proud of the programme’s achievements and are even more excited about the opportunities ahead with the relaunch. We encourage everyone to get involved and make fiscal year 2025 a standout year for innovation.”
The NAIL relaunch will bring new engagement opportunities for those already involved in procurement, as well as fresh faces looking to make an impact.
The expanded focus on talent and technology will help drive innovative ideas forward, creating an atmosphere where forward-thinking approaches thrive.
New leadership, same bold mission
Leading the next phase of NAIL is Programme Manager Brittney Chappell.
“I am thrilled to step into this role and lead the programme, using everything our team has learned from the last year,” she says.
“Together with internal and external stakeholders, we will turn bold ideas into impactful solutions that drive real change.”
NAIL's structured approach includes five stages:
- Empathise
- Define
- Idea generation
- Prototype solutions
- Test and evaluate
These stages allow the programme to methodically tackle problems and test potential solutions. From identifying pain points to testing ideas in real-world settings, this process helps ensure new approaches are practical and effective.
Incorporating the lessons of NASA's exploratory and innovative spirit, NAIL applies these qualities to the often complex world of procurement.
By fostering collaboration and innovation, the programme supports NASA’s broader mission to break new ground in science and technology while refining the procurement process itself.
NAIL aims to encourage risk-taking and open up new opportunities for innovation, especially by collaborating with industry experts who have real-world insights.
The programme is designed to create a bridge between NASA’s internal teams and external industry players, ensuring that every idea, big or small, has the potential to drive real progress.
As NASA continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in space exploration, it is also revolutionising the way it handles procurement- so, with the relaunch of NAIL, the agency is not only investing in ground-breaking technology but also in the processes that make those technologies possible.
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