Updated August 28, 2025
DIGEST
1. Protest alleging solicitation includes contradictory terms regarding whether discussions will be held is dismissed as academic where agency intends to amend the solicitation to clarify solicitation’s discussions provisions.
2. Protest arguing agency failed to set aside procurement for service-disabled veteran‑owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) and improperly removed an SDVOSB evaluation preference from solicitation is dismissed for failing to state a legally sufficient basis of protest where agency’s actions do not violate any procurement law or regulation.
3. Protest contention that solicitation’s phase-in requirements are unfunded, and thus, place undue risk on offerors is denied where contention ignores the plain language of the solicitation. Additional allegation that phase-in requirements are ambiguous is denied where the solicitation’s terms provide sufficient information for offerors to compete intelligently and on an equal basis.
4. Protest challenging agency’s selection of a fixed-price contract type as placing undue risk on prospective offerors is denied where the agency provided historical workload volume and level of effort data sufficient to permit offerors to compete intelligently and on an equal basis.
DECISION
Protection Strategies Etc. International, LLC (PSEI), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Barrington, New Hampshire, protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. HS002125RE001, issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) for background investigation support services. The protester argues the agency failed to set aside the procurement for SDVOSBs and improperly amended the solicitation to remove an evaluation preference for SDVOSBs. Further, the protester challenges multiple solicitation terms as ambiguous or otherwise unclear and takes issue with the agency’s selection of a fixed-price contract type.
We dismiss in part and deny in part the protest.
Protester: Protection Strategies Etc International, LLC
Solicitation Number: HS002125RE001
Agency: Department of Defense : Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
File number: B-423539.1
Outcome: Denied
Decision Date: August 25, 2025
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