Updated June 11, 2025
DIGEST
1. Protest is not premature where the protester did not timely submit questions to the agency and therefore the debriefing was considered to be concluded on the date it was delivered, and the protest was filed within 10 days of that date.
2. Protest of the agency’s evaluation of the awardee’s price and professional employee compensation plan is denied where the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with Federal Acquisition Regulation provision 52.222-46 and the terms of the solicitation.
3. Protest that the agency engaged in misleading discussions is denied where the record shows the protester exercised its business judgment and increased its price rather than provide additional information to justify labor rates identified by the agency as unrealistic during exchanges with offerors.
4. Protest challenging the agency’s best-value decision is denied where the agency’s decision is reasonable, consistent with the terms of the solicitation, and adequately documented.
DECISION
SMS Data Products Group, Inc., a small business of McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Abacus Technology Corporation, a small business of Chevy Chase, Maryland, under fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR) No. FA8773-24-R-0002, issued by the Department of the Air Force for intranet control support services to operate, manage, and defend the Air Force’s portion of the Department of Defense information network. The protester argues that various aspects of the agency’s evaluation of the offerors’ price proposals was unreasonable, the agency engaged in misleading discussions with SMS, and the best-value decision is flawed.
We deny the protest.
Added May 29, 2025
Protester: SMS Data Products Group, Inc.
Solicitation Number: FA8773-24-R-0002
Agency: Department of the Air Force
File number: B-423341.1
Outcome: Denied
Decision Date: May 29, 2025
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