PAE Applied Technologies LLC

B-414624 Jun 12, 2017 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights PAE Applied Technologies, LLC, of Fort Worth, Texas, protests the award of a contract to Vectrus Systems Corporation, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, under request for proposals (RFP) No. FA3002-16-R-0002, issued by the Department of the Air Force for base operations support services at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB). PAE challenges the agency's price evaluation and argues that the agency conducted inadequate discussions. We dismiss the protest. We dismiss 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:  PAE Applied Technologies, LLC File:  B-414624 Date:  June 12, 2017 Robert S. Nichols, Esq., Natalie Thingelstad, Esq., and James T. Chow, Esq., Nichols Liu LLP, for the protester. Kevin P. Connelly, Esq., Kelly E. Buroker, Esq., Kristen W. Konar, Esq., and Tamara Droubi, Esq., Vedder Price, P.C., for Vectrus Systems Corporation, the intervenor. Christopher S. Cole, Esq., and Alexis J. Bernstein, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Alexander O. Levine, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest challenging agency’s failure to conduct a price realism assessment is dismissed where the solicitation did not provide for such an assessment. 2.  Protest challenging agency’s analysis of unbalanced pricing is dismissed where the protester does not sufficiently allege prejudice from the agency’s actions. 3.  Post-award protest challenging evaluation scheme employed by agency is dismissed as untimely where the evaluation scheme was disclosed in the solicitation.  DECISION PAE Applied Technologies, LLC, of Fort Worth, Texas, protests the award of a contract to Vectrus Systems Corporation, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, under request for proposals (RFP) No. FA3002-16-R-0002, issued by the Department of the Air Force for base operations support services at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB).  PAE challenges the agency’s price evaluation and argues that the agency conducted inadequate discussions. We dismiss the protest. BACKGROUND The Air Force issued the RFP on August 29, 2016, seeking base operations support services at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi.  The solicitation envisioned issuing a contract with a 45-day mobilization period, a 1-year base period, four 1-year option periods, and two 1-year incentive option periods.  The RFP contained 47 fixed-price contract line item numbers (CLINs) and four cost-reimbursable CLINs covering various base operations support services. The solicitation advised offerors that the agency would award the contract “to the proposal with the lowest evaluated price from among those proposals evaluated to be acceptable.”  RFP at 71.  The RFP stated that the technical evaluation team would evaluate the technical proposal of the lowest-priced offeror, and, “if needed thereafter, the technical proposal(s) of higher priced offerors, in order of price rank, assigning a rating of Acceptable or Unacceptable.”  Id. at 73.  The solicitation instructed offerors not to provide a price for the four cost-reimbursable CLINs, which the agency had identified with not-to-exceed values.  Id. at 61.  The solicitation stated that price would be evaluated for reasonableness and balance, and that offerors whose total evaluated price was unreasonable or unbalanced may not be considered for award.  Id. at 73.  The RFP stated that an offeror’s total evaluated price would be used for award decision purposes and explained that it would be calculated as follows: The [total evaluated price] will be calculated as the total sum of the unit price times the quantities from inputs taken from the Excel spreadsheet titled “KAFB BOS Pricing Proposal Worksheet Section B” located at Section J, Attachment 19 (Price Proposal Spreadsheet - (Section B)), of CLINs X00l - X047for the base period and all option periods, to include Mobilization CLIN 0001, but will not include not-to-exceed cost reimbursable CLINs X048 – X051.  Id. (emphasis omitted); see also id.