360 IT Integrated Solutions, RLLP

B-414650.33,B-414650.34 May 24, 2019 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights 360 IT Integrated Solutions (360 ITIS), a small business located in Reston, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Inserso Corporation, a small business located in Vienna, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. HSCETC-17-Q-00010, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for information technology operations support services (ITOSS). The protester argues that the agency unreasonably evaluated quotations and conducted a flawed best-value tradeoff determination. We deny the protest in part and dismiss the protest in part. 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:  360 IT Integrated Solutions File:  B-414650.33; B-414650.34 Date:  May 24, 2019 Richard J. Conway, Esq., Michael J. Slattery, Esq., and Ioana Cristei, Esq., Blank Rome LLP, for the protester. Richard P. Rector, Esq., Dawn E. Stern, Esq., and Eric P. Roberson, Esq., DLA Piper LLP (US), for Inserso Corporation, the intervenor. Gabriel E. Kennon, Esq., and Kasey Podzius, Esq., Department of Homeland Security, 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 a weakness assessed in the protester’s technical approach is denied where the weakness was consistent with the evaluation criteria, reflected the agency’s reasonable evaluation judgment, and had little, if any, effect on the agency’s best-value tradeoff determination. 2.  Protest challenging the agency’s unequal assignment of strengths is dismissed where the protester failed to timely challenge the assessment of such strengths during an earlier protest proceeding. 3.  Protest asserting that agency evaluated quotations unequally is denied where the agency evaluated quotations in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria and did not treat vendors unequally. DECISION 360 IT Integrated Solutions (360 ITIS), a small business located in Reston, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Inserso Corporation, a small business located in Vienna, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. HSCETC-17-Q-00010, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for information technology operations support services (ITOSS).  The protester argues that the agency unreasonably evaluated quotations and conducted a flawed best-value tradeoff determination. We deny the protest in part and dismiss the protest in part. BACKGROUND The instant protest arises following a lengthy procurement and protest history.  On March 31, 2017, DHS issued the RFQ, which consolidated seven separate ITOSS task orders into one task order under DHS’s Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE) II indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple-award contract vehicle.  The effort solicited includes the provision of a service desk, information technology field operations, cabling, video teleconferencing, hardware/maintenance, deployment, and financial/travel system support services, all in support of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Operations Division. The RFQ anticipated that the resulting task order would be a hybrid fixed-price, time-and-materials, and labor-hour task order with a 12-month base year and three 12-month option years.  RFQ at 1.[1]  The solicitation called for the evaluation of four factors, in descending order of importance:  management approach, technical approach, past performance, and price.  Id.