Chant Engineering Company, Inc., B-292140, May 29, 2003

B-292140 May 29, 2003 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Protest of agency's evaluation of quotation is denied where review of record shows evaluation was reasonable. The RFQ was issued on July 9. Test and deliver an updated existing user-interface controller system" to achieve test readiness of a tire test machine manufactured by Chant. /1/ The tire test machine is used in durability testing of various military vehicle tires. Is an external device that controls such operations as "on/off. The RFQ contemplated the award of a fixed-price contract to the "responsible offeror whose offer will be most advantageous to the Government (Best Value) evaluating the technical proposal. Responses to IFDs were submitted on January 24. Were incorporated into the technical evaluation. View Decision Chant Engineering Company, Inc., B-292140, May 29, 2003 DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Chant Engineering Company, Inc. protests the award of a contract to Link Engineering Company under request for quotations (RFQ) No. DAAE07-02-T-0018, issued by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command for a controller system to be used with a tire test machine. We deny the protest. The RFQ was issued on July 9, 2002 as a "combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services" under the simplified acquisition procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 and Subpart 12.6. It sought quotations to "design, fabricate, test and deliver an updated existing user-interface controller system" to achieve test readiness of a tire test machine manufactured by Chant. /1/ The tire test machine is used in durability testing of various military vehicle tires. The controller, which consists of hardware and software, is an external device that controls such operations as "on/off," load, speed, caster, and camber. The RFQ contemplated the award of a fixed-price contract to the "responsible offeror whose offer will be most advantageous to the Government (Best Value) evaluating the technical proposal, price, delivery and past performance." RFQ at 1. Four vendors submitted quotations by the closing date of July 24. The agency evaluated the quotations, developed "Items for Discussion" (IFD) for each vendor's quotation, and then provided the IFDs to the vendors so that the agency "could get a better understanding of each offeror's quotation." Responses to IFDs were submitted on January 24, 2003, and were incorporated into the technical evaluation. Contracting Officer's Statement at 2. Link received a rating of excellent (very low risk) for its technical proposal and quoted a price of $89,100. Chant received a good rating (low risk) for its technical proposal and quoted a price of $93,100. Both vendors received a good rating for past performance and provided for a 6-month delivery. The agency selected Link for award because its quotation provided an "excellent technical offer combined with the lowest offered price." Agency Report (AR), Tab F, Award Decision Document, Mar. 14, 2003, at 1, 5. This protest followed. Chant generally challenges the agency's technical evaluation, primarily arguing that its quotation was deserving of the highest technical and lowest risk ratings because it is the manufacturer of the tire test machine and, thus, possesses technical information that no other vendor has; conversely, Chant argues that Link's quotation should have been assigned a lower technical and higher risk rating because that firm does not have this technical information. /2/ As noted above, the Army conducted this acquisition using simplified acquisition procedures. Simplified acquisition procedures are designed to, among other things, reduce administrative costs, promote efficiency and economy in contracting, and avoid unnecessary burdens for agencies and contractors. FAR Sec. 13.002; Sawtooth Enters., Inc., B-281218, Dec. 7, 1998, 98-2 CPD Para. 139 at 3. Our Office reviews allegations of improper agency actions in conducting simplified acquisitions to ensure that the procurements are conducted consistent with a concern for fair and equitable competition and with the terms of the solicitation. Nunez & Assocs., B?258666, Feb. 10, 1995, 95-1 CPD Para. 62 at 2. Here, we find no basis to object to the Army's evaluation and selection of Link's quotation as reflecting the best value to the government. The record shows that the Army recognized that Chant was the manufacturer of the tire test machine and assessed this to be a strength in Chant's quotation. /3/ AR, Tab E, Evaluation Summary at 3. Nevertheless, the Army also found that possession of technical data for the tire test machine was not necessary or required for the controller. As explained by the Army, the tire test machine is a "simple mechanical device[] made up of a collection of commercially available components." /4/ Contracting Officer's Statement at 3.