Skyquest Aviation, LLC

B-415383 Dec 04, 2017 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Sky Quest Aviation, LLC (SQA), of Glendale, Arizona, protests the award of a contract to Gauss Management Research and Engineering, Inc. (GMRE), of South Ogden, Utah, by the Department of the Air Force under request for proposals (RFP) No. FA5587-17-R-0011 for helicopter flight services. The protester argues that the agency failed to reasonably evaluate the awardee's proposal with regard to its plan for performance of the contract requirements in the United Kingdom. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  Sky Quest Aviation LLC File:  B-415383 Date:  December 4, 2017 William Tresky, Sky Quest  Aviation LLC, for the protester. Colonel C. Taylor Smith, Colby L. Sullins, Esq., Lesley V. Colosimo, Esq., and James W. Meinders, 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 alleging that the awardee's proposal did not adequately describe its approach for performing the contract in the United Kingdom is denied where the record shows that the agency reasonably evaluated the proposal in accordance with the solicitation. DECISION Sky Quest Aviation, LLC (SQA), of Glendale, Arizona, protests the award of a contract to Gauss Management Research and Engineering, Inc. (GMRE), of South Ogden, Utah, by the Department of the Air Force under request for proposals (RFP) No. FA5587-17-R-0011 for helicopter flight services.  The protester argues that the agency failed to reasonably evaluate the awardee's proposal with regard to its plan for performance of the contract requirements in the United Kingdom.  We deny the protest.[1] BACKGROUND The Air Force issued the RFP on August 7, 2017, seeking proposals to provide one pilot and one special mission aviator to perform functional check flights, maintenance test flights, and instructional training for HH-60G helicopters at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, with a planned relocation to Aviano Air Base, Italy.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 3, RFP at 3-4.  The RFP was issued under the simplified acquisition procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 13.5, and anticipated the award of a contract with a base period of 1 year and four 1-year options, with fixed-price contract line items for labor and travel.  Id. at 3-8, 18. The RFP advised offerors that their proposal would be evaluated based on price and the following four non-price factors, which were to be evaluated on an acceptable/ unacceptable basis:  (1) technical qualifications, (2) management and staffing plan, (3) quality control plan, and (4) prior experience.[2]  Id. at 18.  For purposes of award, the RFP stated that award would be made to the offeror whose proposal was acceptable under each of the non-price factors and proposed the lowest overall price.  Id. The Air Force received proposals from seven offerors, including SQA and GMRE, by the closing date of August 7.  AR, Tab 11, Award Decision, at 1.  The agency found six of the offerors' initial proposals were technically unacceptable.  Id. at 2.  The agency conducted discussions with all offerors and received revised proposals.  Id.  The agency evaluated SQA's and GMRE's revised proposals as follows:   SQA GMRE OVERALL TECHNICAL RATING UNACCEPTABLE ACCEPTABLE Technical Qualifications Acceptable Acceptable Management and Staffing Plan Unacceptable Acceptable Quality Control Plan Unacceptable Acceptable Prior Experience Acceptable Acceptable PRICE $2,589,119 $2,460,072 Id. at 8, 10; AR, Tab 15, Pricing Abstract, at 1.  The agency also found that a proposal submitted by a third offeror was technically acceptable, and that the proposals submitted by the other four offerors were technically unacceptable.  AR, Tab 11, Award Decision, at 8. The Air Force selected GMRE's proposal for award because its proposal offered the lowest price as between the two offerors whose proposals were found to be technically acceptable.  Id.