Bridenstine: Moon Partners To Compete On “Cost And Innovation” Written 3 December 2018

Aerospace America reported on the news that NASA has selected nine companies to “help the agency boost the fledgling moon exploration industry under a new program called Commercial Lunar Payload Services” (CLPS). The agency made the announcement Thursday at NASA headquarters, and explained that each of the participants will be eligible to “compete for NASA funds to land small, inexpensive research instruments on the moon that would help pave the way for larger landers, including those carrying people.” CLPS signifies a “new way of doing business” for NASA, but NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine clarified that the agency “is not going to be purchasing, owning and operating its own systems to get small payloads to the surface of the moon,” but rather will “buy the service,” enabling it to “be one customer of many customers, spreading the cost.” Bridenstine said that the approach also allows NASA to “have multiple providers that are competing on cost and innovation.” 
More Info (Aerospace America)