Decision Details released in DHS IT Hardware and Software Protest Denial

DIGEST 1. Agency reasonably eliminated protester’s proposal from award consideration where the proposal included an incomplete attachment that was required by the solicitation. 2. Protest is denied where agency may, but is not required to, engage in clarifications with protester to allow protester to submit complete attachment.

DISCUSSION Alliance protests that the agency unreasonably eliminated its proposal from the competition. According to Alliance, the information that was missing from the attachment 9 crosswalk was referenced by manufacturer, make, and model number in Alliance’s pricing schedule. Alliance further notes that the micro workstation is a commercially available item, and the agency could confirm its specifications on the manufacturer’s website. Alliance also contends that in its proposal it indicated that the items it proposed met all solicitation requirements. Alliance maintains that in any case the missing information was a clerical error and the agency should have provided Alliance the opportunity to correct its proposal through clarifications. As discussed below, we find that none of these arguments have merit and deny the protest. In reviewing protests challenging the evaluation of an offeror’s proposal, or as here, the rejection of a proposal based on the agency’s evaluation, it is not our role to reevaluate proposals; rather our Office examines the record to determine whether the agency’s judgment was reasonable, and in accordance with the solicitation criteria and applicable procurement statutes and regulations…

DECISION Alliance Technology Group, LLC, a small business, of Hanover, Maryland, protests that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unreasonably eliminated the proposal it submitted in response to request for proposals (RFP) No. 70RTAC21R00000003, issued for information technology hardware and software. Alliance asserts that the agency wrongly eliminated its proposal for failing to complete a required attachment when the relevant information was included in its proposal. Alliant further protests that the agency should have engaged in clarifications to allow the protester to correct this clerical error. We deny the protest.

See the decision here.

🔊 Listen to Story