Decision Released: Army Contracting Command Declassification Program Support Services protest denial

File: B-422438; B-422438.2; B-422438.3

Digest

1. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of offerors’ technical proposals is denied where, notwithstanding the parties’ disagreement regarding the assessment of one weakness in the protester’s proposal, the protester fails to demonstrate prejudice.
2. Protest of the agency’s best-value tradeoff decision is denied where the selection of the higher technically rated, higher-priced proposal was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation’s stated evaluation criteria.

Discussion

Inalab challenges various aspects of the Army’s evaluation of the offerors’ technical proposals and the best-value tradeoff decision. Inalab raises other collateral issues to those discussed in this decision. While our decision does not address every argument or variation thereof, we have considered them all and find that none provides a basis to sustain the protest.

Before turning to the merits of Inalab’s protest, we address the agency’s request for partial dismissal. The protester alleges that KYM misrepresented the availability of key personnel and complains that the agency misevaluated KYM’s transition plan because the awardee did not have all personnel in place at the start of performance. Protest at 20-22. To support these allegations, the protester relies on job postings from KYM’s website and a declaration from an individual who was told that that three individuals in key personnel positions were hired by KYM after award. Before filing the agency report, the Army submitted a request for partial dismissal, asking our Office to dismiss these protest grounds. The agency argues that Inalab’s assertion that KYM misrepresented the availability of key personnel was factually and legally insufficient, and the protest of the evaluation of the awardee’s transition plan was speculative and involved matters of contract administration …

Decision

Inalab Consulting, Inc., an 8(a) small business of Fairfax, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to KYM Advisors, Inc., an 8(a) small business of Reston, Virginia, under fair opportunity request for proposals (RFP) No. 1670095, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command to provide declassification program support services. Inalab challenges various aspects of the agency’s evaluation of the offerors’ technical proposals and the best-value tradeoff decision.

We deny the protest.

Read the decision here.

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