MicroTechnologies, LLC

B-413091.4 Feb 03, 2017 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights MicroTechnologies, LLC, of Vienna, Virginia, a small business, protests the issuance of a task order to BTAS, Inc., of Beavercreek, Ohio, also a small business, under request for proposals (RFP) No. F1AF1C5223A001, which was issued by the Department of the Air Force for information technology support services. MicroTechnologies argues that the Air Force unreasonably evaluated the realism of BTAS's proposed professional compensation plan. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of:  MicroTechnologies, LLC File:  B-413091.4 Date:  February 3, 2017 Gregory S. Jacobs, Esq., Steven A. Pozefsky, Esq., and Erin L. Felix, Esq., Polsinelli PC, for the protester. Jonathan D. Shaffer, Esq., and Mary Pat Buckenmeyer, Esq., Smith Pachter McWhorter PLC, for BTAS, Inc., the intervenor. Alexis J. Bernstein, Esq., Lt. Col. Kevin P. Stiens, and Graeme S. Henderson, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Jonathan L. Kang, Esq., and Laura Eyester, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of the realism of the awardee’s employee compensation plan is denied where the record shows that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation and the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. DECISION MicroTechnologies, LLC, of Vienna, Virginia, a small business, protests the issuance of a task order to BTAS, Inc., of Beavercreek, Ohio, also a small business, under request for proposals (RFP) No. F1AF1C5223A001, which was issued by the Department of the Air Force for information technology support services. MicroTechnologies argues that the Air Force unreasonably evaluated the realism of BTAS’s proposed professional compensation plan.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The solicitation was issued on November 20, 2015, and sought proposals to provide information technology services in support of the Air Force Personnel Operations Activity, which is located at Joint Base San Antonio in Randolph, Texas.  The competition was limited to small business firms that hold a NETCENTS-2 indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract.  RFP at 1.  The RFP anticipated the issuance of a fixed-price task order with a transition period of 1 month, a base period of 11 months, and two 1-year options.  Id. at 7.  The RFP provided for award to the offeror[1] that submitted a technically-acceptable proposal with the lowest price and a realistic employee compensation plan (ECP).  Id.  Offerors’ proposals were to be evaluated for technical acceptability under the following evaluation subfactors:  (1) staffing plan, (2) transition plan, and (3) quality control plan.  Id. at 3-4.  For the ECP evaluation, the solicitation stated that the plans “will be evaluated for realism,” id. at 6, and directed offerors to submit their ECPs as follows: The Offeror and first-tier subcontractors shall provide an Employee Compensation Plan (ECP) [in accordance with] FAR [(Federal Acquisition Regulation)] 52.222-46.  The Offeror and first-tier subcontractors shall provide company policies and procedures that explain how employee salary is determined and the applicable fringe benefits such as holidays, healthcare, pension, 401K, etc.  The Offeror and first-tier subcontractors shall support the ECP by providing unloaded labor rates[2] for each labor category proposed. Id. at 4. The FAR provision referenced by the RFP requires offerors to provide compensation plans for professional employees as follows:  (a)  Recompetition of service contracts may in some cases result in lowering the compensation (salaries and fringe benefits) paid or furnished professional employees.