Canadian Commercial Corporation/Polaris Inflatable Boats, B-

B-276945 Jul 31, 1997 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Agency's assessment of risk associated with protester's proposal was reasonably based. Agency reasonably considered the fact that protester's spare and repair parts were not currently in military inventories where solicitation stated that components that were interchangeable with existing military components would constitute an enhanced feature. DAAK01-97-R-0008 for 15-person inflatable assault boats. [1] Polaris complains that the Army's assessment of a portion of Polaris's proposal as "acceptable" rather than "exceptional" was based on evaluation factors not set forth in the solicitation. The boats are to be used by Army special operation forces. To be evaluated on the basis of "discriminators that will decrease mission risk. View Decision Matter of: Canadian Commercial Corporation/Polaris Inflatable Boats (Canada), Ltd. File: B-276945 Date: July 31, 1997 * Redacted Decision DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Canadian Commercial Corporation/Polaris Inflatable Boats (Canada), Ltd. protests the Department of the Army's award of a contract to Zodiac of North America, Inc. under request for proposals (RFP) No. DAAK01-97-R-0008 for 15-person inflatable assault boats. [1] Polaris complains that the Army's assessment of a portion of Polaris's proposal as "acceptable" rather than "exceptional" was based on evaluation factors not set forth in the solicitation. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFP for this procurement, issued on January 31, 1997, sought proposals for a 5-year requirements contract for commercially available, 15-person inflatable assault boats with proven marine performance. The boats are to be used by Army special operation forces, Army engineers, and engineer divers during military dive and training missions. Section M-2 of the solicitation provided that award would be made to the offeror whose proposal offered the best overall value to the government and stated that proposals would be evaluated in four areas--technical, logistics, cost/price, and past performance--with technical denominated as the most important evaluation area. RFP section M-2 also advised offerors that the technical evaluation would be divided into two parts--essential features, to be evaluated on a go/no go basis, and enhanced features, to be evaluated on the basis of "discriminators that will decrease mission risk, increase boat performance and decrease life-cycle cost." [2] Section M-2 of the RFP further provided that: Data measurements such as top speed, planing speed, time to planing speed and maneuverability are required to document claimed performance. Test data should include test conditions, environmental conditions, test procedures, etc. The following three elements [within the technical area] are approximately equal in importance. Element 1: Performance Enhancements. The performance capabilities of the boat will be assessed to determine whether they increase the probability of success of the missions for which the boat will be used. . . . . . Element 3: Lifecycle Enhancements. The maintainability, standardization, and service life of the boat will be considered to determine the estimated life cycle cost of the boat. Three proposals, including those of Polaris and Zodiac, were submitted by the March 12, 1997, closing date. [3] Polaris's proposal was based on its modification of a 10-person boat it had previously manufactured. Following the agency's evaluation of initial proposals, [4] discussions with each offeror were conducted. In its letter opening discussions with Polaris, dated March 21, 1977, the agency expressed concern that Polaris's proposal did not contain adequate performance documentation. Among other things, the letter stated: At this time, the Government has serious reservations in your company's ability to meet the requirements of the solicitation within the time frame required. The solicitation request is for a commercial off-the-shelf boat with proven marine performance. The ten person inflatable boat that your company has proposed appears to require significant modifications with many engineering variables yet to be determined. Supporting documentation to included test data pertaining to materials, design, specifications and performance have not been provided. If your company still wishes to remain as a potential offeror for this solicitation, the Government requires detailed comprehensive responses to the issues raised in the enclosed Offeror Notification Forms (ONFs). Thereafter, during discussions, the agency made repeated requests to Polaris for additional information, including requests for specific documentation verifying the performance capabilities of the 10-person boat on which Polaris's proposal was based.