Antico Cantiere Del Legno Giovanni Aprea Di Cataldo S.R.L.

B-414112 Feb 21, 2017 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Antico Cantiere Del Legno Giovanni Aprea Di Cataldo S.R.L., of Sorrento, Italy, protests the issuance of a purchase order to Cantiere Navale Basilio Postigilione S.R.L., of Bacoli, Italy, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. N68171-17-T-0008, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella, for the storage and teak deck repair of the Grazie II Admiral's Barge. Antico argues that the agency's evaluation of its quotation and resulting award decision were improper. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  Antico Cantiere Del Legno Giovanni Aprea Di Cataldo S.R.L. File:  B-414112 Date:  February 21, 2017 Matteo Zappile for the protester. Robert L. Kois, Esq., and Eva Escalante, Esq., Department of the Navy, for  the agency. Louis A. Chiarella, Esq., and Peter H. Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the technical unacceptability of the protester’s quotation is denied where the protester proposed an alternate approach, and the agency reasonably evaluated the quotation in accordance with the solicitation’s terms. DECISION Antico Cantiere Del Legno Giovanni Aprea Di Cataldo S.R.L., of Sorrento, Italy, protests the issuance of a purchase order to Cantiere Navale Basilio Postigilione S.R.L., of Bacoli, Italy, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. N68171-17-T-0008, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella, for the storage and teak deck repair of the Grazie II Admiral’s Barge.[1]  Antico argues that the agency’s evaluation of its quotation and resulting award decision were improper. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The procurement was conducted using the simplified acquisition procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 13.  Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS) at 1.  The RFQ, issued on October 25, 2016, contemplated the issuance of a fixed-price purchase order for the storage and teak deck repair of the Grazie II Admiral’s Barge (described as a 52-foot Chris Craft, 14 7/8-inch beam, with a hoisting weight of 40,000 pounds).  RFQ at 2, 5.  Relevant to the protest here, the RFQ included “[c]riteria for removing Craft from the water” as follows:  1.  A boat cradle with suitable dimension to satisfy [the] requirement[s] of [the identified Craft] is to be utilized to transfer the craft in designated storage site. 2.  Boat ramp with winch heaving system. The craft will be removed thru the use of a boat ramp and winch heaving system. Id. at 5. The RFQ also established that purchase order award would be made on a lowest-priced, technically acceptable basis, and that technical acceptability would consist of:  (1) an explanation of “the proposed method the offeror intends to use to take the [A]dmiral[’]s [B]arge out of the water and transported to the storage area, which meets the criteria established in the Statement of Work,” and (2) a statement confirming the availability of a boat ramp in their facility . . ., which meets the criteria established in the Statement of Work.”  Id. at 2. Both Antico and Cantiere Navale submitted quotations by the October 27 closing date.  Antico’s quotation set forth the vendor’s intended dry-docking procedures and stated that “our Shipyard WILL NOT utilize wire cables and a sheave transfer/ slipway hauling system to remove the Grazie II Admiral Barge from the water [using] a wooden boat cradle . . . .”  Protest, attach. 7, Antico Quotation, at 3 (emphasis in original).  Antico explained that use of an inclined slipway hauling system was “obsolete,” “lacking of approved technical, engineering & safety certifications issued by the competent Italian Port Authorities,” and “known to transfer a great amount of undesired tensional stress [to] the boat’s wooden hull and superstructure elements.”[2]  Id.  As a result, Antico stated that “our Shipyard will indeed utilize a dedicated wooden boat cradle specifically designed to fit the underwater keel and hull structure of the Grazie II Admiral Barge during its removal from the water, but utilizing a suitable and certified boat travel lift which guarantees a safe and vertical removal of the Barge from the water.”  Id.