Government and Military Certification Systems, Inc.

B-412005 Nov 30, 2015 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Government and Military Certification Systems, Inc. (GMCS), of Washington, D.C., protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. BEP-RFP-15-0368, issued by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), for auditing services for the agency's environmental and quality management systems at its two printing facilities. GMCS contends that certain parts of the solicitation are unduly restrictive of competition. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  Government and Military Certification Systems, Inc. File:  B-412005 Date:  November 30, 2015 Leigh Brand, for the protester. Rachel McGuane, Esq., Bureau of Engraving and Printing, for the agency. Laura Eyester, Esq. and David A. Ashen, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Challenge to terms of solicitation for an independent review of an agency’s environmental and quality management systems is denied where agency reasonably explains rationale for specifications with regard to contractor accreditation. DECISION Government and Military Certification Systems, Inc. (GMCS), of Washington, D.C., protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. BEP-RFP-15-0368, issued by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), for auditing services for the agency’s environmental and quality management systems at its two printing facilities.  GMCS contends that certain parts of the solicitation are unduly restrictive of competition.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND BEP provides the design, engraving, and printing for all United States paper currency at its two printing facilities in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas.  RFP at 7.  Each facility has wastewater pre-treatment plants that treat the waste streams from the printing presses and from the nickel and chromium plating operations.  Id.  As a result, BEP has environmental and management systems for its printing facilities, which adhere to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 standard for environmental management and the ISO 9001 standard for quality management.[1]  Id. BEP utilizes third-party registration for its environmental and quality management systems, which is an independent audit that an organization is meeting the objectives and requirements of an ISO standard.  Both of BEP’s facilities maintain separate registrations for their environmental management systems due to the differences in environmental regulations between the jurisdictions.  RFP at 7.  In addition, BEP maintains a single registration that covers both facilities for its quality management system.  Id.  BEP requires further independent reviews to maintain continued registration for both systems.  Id. As a result, on May 15, 2015, BEP issued a solicitation for an accredited contractor to maintain BEP’s registration of its environmental management system under the ISO 14001 standard, and of its quality management system under the ISO 9001 standard.  RFP at 7.  The RFP originally required that:  “The Contractor shall be an ANAB [ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board] accredited ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 Registrar . . . [and that] Contractors must be accredited to the Printing scope (09) on the ANAB web site (anab.org).”  AR, Tab 4, RFP at 9.  Proposals were due on August 28.  Id., Tab 4, Amendment 2.  On August 28, GMCS filed a protest with this Office arguing that the requirements for ANAB accreditation and printing scope are unduly restrictive of competition.  Protest at 1-2.  GMCS requested that BEP revise the accreditation requirements “to allow for ANAB accreditation or equivalent to include the International Accreditation Services (IAS).”  Protest at 3.  In response to the protest, on September 4, BEP amended the solicitation concerning accreditation requirements to address GMCS’s concerns as follows: 1.