Protest Denial Decision Posted: Air Force Technical, System Analysis, and Analytical Support Task

GAO Case: B-422124.2

Digest

Protest challenging various aspects of the agency’s source selection decision–including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation of the protester’s proposal, and the best-value tradeoff decision–is denied where the record shows that the protested aspects of the agency’s source selection decision were reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable procurement law and regulation.

Discussion

Intecon challenges various aspects of the agency’s source selection process, including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation, and the best-value tradeoff decision. In its various protest submissions, Intecon has raised arguments that are in addition to, or variations of, those specifically discussed below. While we do not specifically address all of Intecon’s arguments, we have considered all of them and find that they afford no basis on which to sustain the protest.

First, Intecon contends that the agency conducted “unequal discussions” by, in the protester’s view, engaging in interchanges with ASIRTek and not Intecon. Protest at 11; Comments at 2. While Intecon acknowledges that it “was given the opportunity to revise its proposal” during interchanges, the protester complains that “no direction was given on how it could improve on its proposal” and suggests that this also made the interchanges not meaningful. Protest at 12‑13.

As an initial matter, while the protester frames its objections to the agency’s interchanges as “discussions,” we agree with the agency that discussions were not conducted here because such negotiations are generally limited to procurements conducted in accordance with FAR part 15. Memorandum of Law (MOL) at 8-9; see, e.g., Triple Canopy, Inc., B‑420691.2, B-420691.3, Oct. 28, 2022, 2022 CPD ¶ 275 at 13 (explaining that when such negotiations are conducted in a competitive acquisition conducted …

Decision

Intecon, LLC, of Charleston, South Carolina, protests the issuance of a task order to ASIRTek Federal Services, LLC, of San Antonio, Texas, under fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR) No. FA251823R0017, issued by the Department of the Air Force, United States Space Force, for non-personal support services. The protester challenges various aspects of the agency’s source selection decision, including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation of the protester’s proposal, and the best-value tradeoff decision.  We deny the protest.

Read the decision here.

🔊 Listen to Story