Decision released: Protest denial of $90M DHS CISA cybersecurity risk reduction services requirement

DIGEST

Protest challenging the agency’s technical evaluation of quotations is denied where the record demonstrates that the evaluation was conducted reasonably and in accordance with the terms of the solicitation.

DISCUSSION

Guidehouse challenges the agency’s technical evaluation in several ways.  First, under the demonstrated corporate experience factor, Guidehouse challenges three elements of decreased confidence assessed to its quotation and argues that the evaluation was conducted in a disparate manner.  Protest at 15-18; Comments & Supp. Protest at 2-11; Supp. Comments at 1-6.  Second, under the technical approach factor, Guidehouse challenges three elements of decreased confidence assessed to its quotation.  Protest at 18-22; Comments & Supp. Protest at 11-17.  Third, under the management approach and key personnel factor, Guidehouse challenges two elements of decreased confidence assessed to its quotation and argues that the agency failed to award it proper credit for exceeding the requirement for a key person position.  Protest at 22-24; Comments & Supp. Protest at 17-22.  The agency defends its evaluation as reasonable.  As discussed below, we find no basis to sustain the protest.5  This is a task order competition conducted pursuant to FAR subpart 16.5.  The evaluation of quotations is primarily a matter within the contracting agency’s discretion because the agency is responsible for defining its needs and the best method of accommodating them.  CACI, Inc.-Federal, B-420441.3, Nov. 5, 2022, 2022 CPD ¶ 278 at 6.  In reviewing protests of the issuance of a task order, our Office will not reevaluate quotations; rather, we will examine the record to determine whether the evaluation and source selection decision were reasonable and consistent with the solicitation and applicable procurement law and regulation.  STG, Inc., B-411415, B-411415.2, July 22, 2015, 2015 CPD ¶ 240 at 5.  Disagreement with the agency’s judgment, without more, does not show that an agency acted unreasonably.  Engility Corp., B-413120.3 et al., Feb. 14, 2017, 2017 CPD ¶ 70 at 16.  It is a vendor’s responsibility to submit a well-written quotation, with adequately detailed information clearly demonstrating compliance with the solicitation requirements allowing for a meaningful review by the procuring agency.  CACI, Inc.-Federal, supra at 10.  Agencies are not required to infer information from an inadequately detailed quotation, or to supply information that a vendor elected not to provide.  Engility Corp., supra.  In reviewing an agency’s evaluation, we do not limit our consideration to the contemporaneous record, but instead consider all the information provided…

DECISION

Guidehouse Inc. of McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Accenture Federal Services, LLC (Accenture) of Arlington, Virginia.  The task order was issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 70RCSJ23Q00000049, for cybersecurity risk reduction services.  The protester challenges the agency’s evaluation of quotations.  We deny the protest.

See the decision here.

Related Data

Protest Denied: $90M DHS CISA Vulnerability Management (VM) Cybersecurity Division Insights Program Support

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