Fattani Offset Printers

B-415308 Nov 20, 2017 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Fattani Offset Printers, of Blantyre, Malawi, protests the award of a contract to Kris Offset & Screen Printers, Ltd., also of Blantyre, Malawi, under request for proposals (RFP) No. SOL-612-17-000009, issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for printing services. Fattani alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated its proposal. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  Fattani Offset Printers File:  B-415308 Date:  November 20, 2017 Ahmed Razzak, for the protester. John B. Alumbaugh, Esq., United States Agency for International Development, for the agency. Todd C. Culliton, Esq., and Tania Calhoun, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging agency’s technical and past performance evaluations is denied where the record shows the evaluations were reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. DECISION Fattani Offset Printers, of Blantyre, Malawi, protests the award of a contract to Kris Offset & Screen Printers, Ltd., also of Blantyre, Malawi, under request for proposals (RFP) No. SOL‑612‑17‑000009, issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for printing services.  Fattani alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated its proposal. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On June 23, 2017, the agency issued the RFP for printing, binding, and distribution services to be performed pursuant to a fixed-price contract over a two-year period.  RFP at 1, 5, 17.  The RFP specified that “[t]he purpose of this contract is printing, binding, and distribution of 773,025 English Standard Four Learners’ Books (LBs) and 6,000 Stock Management Cards.”  Performance Work Statement (PWS) at § C.2.  The RFP also provided the agency with two options for additional quantities and items.  Id. The PWS stated that all books must be printed according to distinct specifications.  PWS at § C.3.  As relevant here, the RFP provided that the body text must be printed using the A5 size format, and that each textbook cover must be printed with a one‑side, UV coated gloss finish.  Id.  As for the binding specifications, the textbooks must have perfect binding, and the supplementary readers must have saddle stitching.  Id. at § C.3.4.  In addition, the PWS stated that the English Standard Four Learners’ Books would require printing of 154,605,000 pages and 773,025 covers.  PWS at § C.4.1.  Shipment of the textbooks and other items must be completed within 3-6 months depending on the actual time proposed by the successful offeror.  RFP at 17.  Textbooks and other items would be distributed to 5,549 primary schools throughout Malawi.  Id. The RFP instructed offerors to address eligibility[1], price, and technical capability.  In regard to technical capability, offerors were to address five categories:  qualifications, printing sample, performance plans, past performance and reference reviews, and business registration.  RFP at 45-46. Award would be made on a best-value tradeoff basis considering two evaluation factors, technical and price.  RFP at 50.  For the technical factor, the RFP divided a total of 100 points between technical understanding and past performance, with 85 points allocated to technical understanding and 15 points to past performance.  Technical understanding was further subdivided into three subfactors with respective point allocations, including qualifications of the organization (30 points), printing sample quality (25 points), and performance plans (15 points). The agency received four offers by the close of the solicitation period.  The final evaluation produced the following results: Offeror Name Total Points Awarded Total Price Proposed Fattani Offset Printers 35 $4,000,001.22 Kris Offset Printers 92 $4,594,504.19 Agency Report (AR) Tab 24, Letter from USAID to Fattani Offset Printers, Sept.